SURVIVE
by ajj7sunhawk
Summary: AU, the half breed is a 'pet' in the Temple of Light, forced to extremes to survive and keep sane. Will the Demons save him or destroy what little is left? Written for NaNoWriMo. I own nuts. M for a reason All warnings up! Highly psychological
1. Alive  not quite!

Arrgggghhh NanoWRIMo again! Yeah! Oh NOOOOO! I had wanted to continue Truth in Blood – but kindda got no ideas. Instead something else came to me – a lot darker and more angsty. Its set in the Turth in Blood world – but the history and story of the main character has been changed. Kindda only started Nano yesterday so I am two days behind and already lagging – gulp! HELP!

Trying to win 3 Nano's in a row – think I have a hope? Anyway you get a new fic – updated daily – or almost daily as per NanoWriMo. 50 thousand words in November ... shudders!

Anyway Read, review and enjoy! My Nano 2010 offering;

Every warning you can think of is up for this fic! I do not own Inuyahsa, I think he would probably kill me if I did – the stuff I put the poor puppy through!

**SURVIVE**

**Chapter 1 : Alive... not quite!**

The city was in chaos, citizens were gorging themselves, stealing, fighting, having sex and driving themselves to the brink of death by they own insatiable and out of control needs and desires. The unlucky ones that were in close vicinity to the demon, died as they attempted to over appease lusts and desires that just could not be satisfied. The demon of hunger, laughed at the folly of the once arrogant humans. So sure had they been that their priests and priestesses of light would be able to protect them they had allowed the demon get closer to the city then had been advised. Only when their first vanguard pf soldiers fell under the sway of the Demon, had they realized their stupidity.

As they were technically in negotiations for peace, the Demon Lord of the West had graciously warned the human city, that the Demon of Lust was on route and the best way to deal with that demon was to attack it with fire catapults from a far distance, before he got close enough to influence the people. But the priests of the Human city – deemed that an act of cowardice, they were priests of 'light' after all – it would be beneath them to act aggressively first.

That was of course a statement of pure hypocrisy on the part of the temple. When it suited them, they can and did initiate attacks on non-aggressive demons and seraphim alike. This time, they chose not to, because they believed if the Demon Lord of the West was warning them not to talk to this particular Demon – then perhaps they could use the demon against the Demon Lord. The blasted being who was defeating them on every front. They did not consider that the Demon Lord had shared the information because he considered the Demon a treat to humans, Seraphim and demons, indeed all sentient life on the planet.

So the foolish humans had allowed the demon to come within cross bolt range, and that was in range of the Demon's influence. Guards, soldiers and priests alike had been consumed by raging lust and desire, driven to acts of madness and extreme, by the proximity to the Demon. Unchallenged, chaos raging around him, the Demon had walked into the city. Driving citizens crazy on their own needs as he passed.

The Demon was leisurely making his way to the heart of the city where the Temple of Light and the Lord's Castle, now heavily barricaded stood. Even though the barriers, the demonic influence was being felt. Bellies growled in hunger for forbidden foods, legs crossed and uncrossed in a desperate attempt to hide the growing state of arousal. Panic and fear were beginning to set in, even as they sought to strengthen the barriers.

"This is impossible! How can one Demon be so powerful." Priestess Kagome, her stress levels rising, sweat rolled down her chest and back as her desire to copulate got stronger.

"Enough! Control yourselves!" High Priestess Kikyo, her meditations successful was emanated a powerfully vibrating force. She created a pool of tranquility. calming the desires of those around her. Unfortunately the area of her influence was limited, to a radius of about twenty feet.. "We need to focus on defeating this abomination."

Desperate plans were drawn up and discarded, there was little time for the more elaborate ideas, so far the best idea on the table was full scale evacuation – which had already been carried out in most of the city. The main fear was that the Demon, would just stay in the City and own it if they all evacuated, and the only way to get him out would be to actually destroy the city with long range weapons, in the hope of taking the Demon out as well.

The Demon was in no hurry to get to the Temple, he was taking his time strolling through the chaotic city – enjoying the desperate attempts to appease the lusts of those around him. Soldiers coming at him with weapons, lost their will to fight as their desires overwhelmed them. Some on seeing sweets and food, turned to looting the shops and eating, other were copulating on the streets. Duty and honor totally forgotten in their need to appease their gnawing desires. The Demon laughed as he walked slowly to his destination – taunting those that made plans to stand against him.

In spite of Lady Kikyo's energy, with the Demon approaching - lust was once again seeping into the temple.

"I will go." A quite rough, seldom used voice said from the shadows at the corner of the discussion room.

"You?" Kagome sneered, "Mongrel, you actually remember how to speak – be silent! We have no need to hear your empty yappings!"

"Kagome, it is the duty of the Priestess to be a light for beings that are beneath us. For all of Mongrel's short comings it does try to serve us well. Let the dog speak. Remember your place when you address you betters!" Lady Kikyo said pointedly, her tone was as mocking as Kagome's, the sneer of contempt clear in her voice.

Head bowed low, the bare foot figure dressed in a cloak of dark and cheap cloth, stepped slowly out of the shadows. Taller then the humans around him, the heavy chains that wrapped around him forced him to hunch forward, in a parody of a bow. Around his waist, was a belt of heavy iron, chains fell to his legs, forcing his movements to be limited and ungainly. His hands were chained together and linked to the belt, forcing then to cross submissively to all that crossed his path. The heavy collar on his neck was linked to the belt by the short chain that forced him to bend forward. With all that metal weighting the figure down, when he moved it was still without a sound.

"Forgive your mongrel." The figure said in a soft flat voice, "My Lady's mongrel requests that you send him to face the Demon." There was no inflection in the voice as he said those words.

"You? Don't be a fool, a half breed like yourself will be wallowing in lust before you even get close to the Demon." Lady Kagome sneered.

"Kagome, wait, the half demon's lust is to kill and for blood, if he stays here he will fall under the sway of Lust first, and we will need to waste our energy putting him down. But if we send him to meet the Demon, in he lust for blood he may kill some of our people but, he will probably at least be able to hurt the Demon. Once he succumbs to his lust to kill, he will especially dangerous, here he is as usual the weak link, out there he will at least be of some purpose. I suspect that he will give us enough time to plan a better course of action, if not, what is another dead dog on the streets." Kikyo said in a considering fashion. While Kagome always sought to make the half breed a laughing stock and beneath notice of those around them, Lady Kikyo was not so foolish. The half breed was strong – and if he did not die – killing a rabid mongrel would be a simple and expedient thing.

"Very well, mongrel, I order you to leave the temple and to go fight the Demon. Having you in this room where you blood lust can do damage would be a great mistake, so I decree that you must leave, NOW! Go fight the Demon, that is our orders to you. Remove the chains and go." Lady Kikyo snapped out, making it seem like it was her idea in the first place.

The figure bowed, his crossed hands touching areas on the heavy iron belt, the chains came free and slid the floor in clatter of metal. The chains were there not to hold the figure, they were just another layer of humiliation and control the Temple placed on the half demon. The Half breed could have broken them easily enough, it was not the chains that held him, it was the heavy black collar around the half breed's neck that bound the half breed to the Temple. Made from a combination of iron, dragon's blood and unicorn horns, the collar was heavy and full of dark magic that masqueraded as light. The collar's power laid heavy on spirit and soul, trapping the will of its bearer to the Temple.

The one wearing the collar, had bore the heavy weight of its dark magic since his 9th year, not a minute had gone by in the last 11 years when the collar had not weighted him down, trapped him, and stripped him of all that made life worth living.

The weight of the chains were nothing, he would wear them again when he returned, the mockery, the humiliation - they were nothing to him. They were his reality.

Wordlessly, the figure bowed and backed out of the room as he was trained to do. The heavy doors closed in his face, and only than did he stand tall. Without looking at the sneering humans around him, he jumped for the windows and disappeared towards the city.

His main garment was the cheap, dirty gray cloak, he wore a pair of rough trousers and a simple sleeveless tunic on his upper body. The material was the roughest and poorest material available in the city; he was only allowed to use clothing that was donated to the temple from the city's poorest sections. His bare feet hit the sides of building and roofs as he propelled himself forward.

Smoke rose from city houses, screams and cries of citizens were heard in pockets. He could see the areas that had been abandoned as the city folk had run from the influence of the Demon. Chaos reigned, his eyes scanned to access the damage to the city that he had been raised in, he was slightly glad that the Demon had chosen to enter the city from the main city gate, through the market place. The Demon's influence had hit the more affluent areas, the slums where he grew up in were fairly untouched. Many of the richer folks had retreated to the slums. The slums where he had roamed with some measure of freedom as a child were as yet uninfluenced by the demon, but that would not be for long.

As he left the main temple area, he finally pushed back the hood of the cloak, he was under strict orders not to be unhooded in the temple area, lest he pollute the eyes of the Holy priests and priestess with his lowly half breed features. His hair was short, messy and fell to his neck, in uneven patches. His hair grew rapidly, it seemed to want to be naturally long, so of course the temple had ordered him to ensure that his hair never fell below his neck. He was not provided with blades of any sort, nor would anyone lower themselves to assist him, so at regular intervals he used his claws to ensure his hair was at a length that the Priestess found acceptable. Too long or too short, and his punishment was severe. The Priestess changed their minds about what was appropriate often, and the half breed had long come to accept that as par for course. Even though he was a Half breed with a high healing factor, his back and limbs bore testament that the Priest and Priestess of the Temple of Light were extraordinarily diligent in their punishment of the half breed. The level of 'correction' far exceeding even his body's ability to heal properly.

Still he moved as if they made no difference, fluid, graceful and silent.

He headed to the heart of the disturbance, he stirred with unease as he saw the levels of degradation the human's overcome by their lust was sinking to. He closed his mind to them and focused on reaching the his goal, the source of the disturbance – the Lust Demon.

The lust demon with a twisted smile and a happy chuckle, walked though an almost empty square, he was getting a little bored of how easily the humans were destroying themselves, and was now looking forward to helping the uppity Priests reveal their of perversions and degradations. He looked at the temple spire, and jauntily began to walk towards it.

A figure with a real messy crop of white hair, and a pair of white puppy ears dropped from the roof top in front of him. He had no weapons, but his claws were sharp and his fangs gleamed. The demon's eye brow rose, well... well... his day had just gotten a little more interesting – he hoped the half breed would hold out at least a minute against his influence.

"Well, well, well... if it isn't the pet mongrel of the Temple of Light, I had heard rumours that the temple maintained an abomination as a pet, such a pleasure to see that the rumours were true. Before you kill yourself in your own lust, pray tell me your name." The Demon said with an engaging smile.

The figure shrugged, "As you stated, I am know as mongrel. You can go no further." His voice was again dry and flat, mirroring exactly the energy of the golden eyes, flat. No lust, no rising desires were reflected in those eyes.

The lust Demon's eyes widened, "Why are you so calm? Why are you unaffected?" His voice rose in shocked surprise, since he had come to his power in his 14th year, none had come this close to him without displaying some lust, without being impacted in some way. This half breed however showed nothing.

The Demon reached out and slammed his power into the half demon's mind, he faltered for a second, because there were no defenses on the surface of the being's mind – it was shockingly open. The lust demon almost reeled in shock. This disgusted even him.

The collar the half demon wore, destroyed all surface barriers of the mind, the young half demon had no mental or spiritual protection from mental probing, magics and intrusions. It was like being kept mentally naked to any who wished to peek into his conscious thoughts. The energy of the collar had taken root in the half breed just below the level of his conscious mind, the deeper levels of his mind were blanketed by the power of the collar. The priests cared not what was in their's pet's unconsciousness, he could not plan an escape without their knowledge, he could not consciously plot against them. But everything the crossed the surface level of his mind could be used against him, by those with the power to enter minds.

To be stripped of privacy in such a way, and be still sane – was unbelievable.

The demon groped for something in the mind to ignite, for lust and desires – and found...

"Nothing! You want for nothing, you need nothing – you... you.. have no hunger.. no lust.. because you...you.. are dead." The lust demon whispered, he shuddered in horror as he looked into the flat, but suddenly sad – golden eyes.

The half breed nodded slowly, "Yeah, I know. I had wondered about that. Whether there was still anything left alive in this part of me. I was kindda hoping there was – but oh well... I guess its just a matter of time till the rest of me catches up."

"How.. how can you survive like this? Its like a hollowness, emptiness.. that.. that.. do you not even want death, freedom?" The demon asked.

"Freedom, once I wanted freedom, a long time ago, but I was shown clearly how foolish it was for a thing like me to want freedom – to want anything. Wanting things just.. just gave them more to take, to destroy.. so I killed it before they could. I stopped wanting, stopped needing, a long time ago. I just exist and do what I have to do." The half breed said softly there was no anger, no hate – just nothing in his voice. "As for death.. too many seek my death, so why should I seek that as well? Me not wanting life or death – seems to be more of a problem to others than anything else."

The demon's eyes took on a strange almost needy light, "You can come near me, you can touch me, do you know how long it has been since I touched someone?" The demon came forward almost eagerly, he reached out and laid a hand on the cheek of the half breed, the half breed did not react or flinch. The demon trembled in delight, he desired this – someone who was not influenced by his ability, some new challenge, something new he could take, use and slowly corrupt.

"Join me." He whispered, "Join me, against those who used you – those who collared you. I can destroy them, and you can be with me as I rule the world." The demon said almost imploringly, he ran his fingers down the half breed jaw, one hand rested on the half breed's chest. "Take your place, beside me, and I will give you anything you want, I will give you everything you could possibly desire." He cooed... then he suddenly gasped in pained shock. The tangy taste of copper and blood filled his mouth as his lungs were pierced, and claws closed around his heart.

"I'm sorry, if I desired anything – I would be in your power. I need nothing – I want nothing – but I know what I don't what, I know what I won't be. I won't be what the high priests think I am, when I die – I will die knowing that they may have owned me, but they never mastered me truly, never knew me. For all their magicks, I do not do evil things because of the collar repressing me, I don't do evil things, because even as a child I never wanted to hurt anybody. I never wanted to kill, and until they messed with my brain, I never knew blood lust – even now I still don't – unless they trigger the collar and cause it. Thank you demon, you gave me something precious, now I am sure that it is truly not me that causes the blood lust – it is them. In the deep parts of me, parts that is not dead, I worried about that." The half breed said with a soft sad smile.

"I cannot come with you, because sooner or later your hunger will cause you to do what the high Priests will not do, go to the deeper layers of my mind – masked by the collar. That tiny part of me, deep inside is the only part of me that is 'alive'.. but it is separate form me in a strange way. And sooner or later – someone will take that from me as well, and then – there will be nothing left – its a matter of time. I know that, I understand that.

When I am finally turned into nothing, at least – I will have this gift you have given me – at least I know that on my own, I am not an evil blood thirsty, lusting creature that the world thinks I am. That they will turn me into that one day, I have no doubt, but this knowledge now they cannot take from me." The half breed spoke as if he was speaking about a meal, or the weather, no anger, no rage, only a tiny sadness in his voice.

"You hide things from them? In spite of the collar?" The demon was chocking on blood, but he was holding on because he wanted to know.

"Thoughts directed at my self, are beyond the collar's influence. No plans, no external desires – no consequences on the outside world, only this, just thoughts about me, slip past the collar and move deep within. My thoughts about me, I guess is stored in a part of my brain beneath where the collar sits – so they cannot see that. Even though you gave me a gift, you hurt those around you, and you enjoy it, the Temple has ordered your destruction, and so you will die." The hard breed said his eyes saying that he was sorry for the act.

The demon's smile was a twisted parody, "You know, ever since I came into this cursed power, I have been alone. Oh don't get me wrong – I have enjoyed it – reveled in it for centuries. But in all these centuries I have been hungry – my own hunger gnaws at me. I always thought I would die as catapults and ranged weapons rained down on me from afar, I never imagined I would die, cradled by a warm half breed, his hand around my heart." The demon coughed.

"I am dying, and for the first time I feel no hunger." His eyes began to cloud, he looked at the half breed standing impassive with his claws embedded deep into his heart. "Can you stay with me until I die? I don't want to die alone."

The half breed did not answer he sank to his knees and held the dying demon. As gentle as he was, as he rested the demon against him, his claws did not relent from the heart nor did not allow the heart to heal. They both knew that only once all the Demon's blood left his body, would the demon be actually dead.

"I once had a name, given by my parents. Once they killed themselves because of the lust that I induced in them, no one has called me by that name. I did not want them to die, but my power... hunger ... it is a force that is difficult to control ...while you are alive." The half breed did not flinch at the words, there were true. Most of him was dead, that was a fact he lived with. "Will you call me by my name? Will you tell me yours?"

The half breed's expression did not change he spoke in the same flat and sad voice, "I had no parents, I was found amongst the garbage floating in the city bay, the gang that raised me, the priests – none saw the need to give me a real name. Brat, Trash, Scum, Mongrel, abomination or Monster, is what I am called."

The demon's purple eyes widened, he felt a strange pity that he had felt for no other in his recent memories. The half breed was strong and yet seemed so empty, so dead, and somehow so damn fragile at the same time. He hacked more blood, "Surely, you have something you call your self? Please, I was named Naraku by my parents, please." The world was fading from the demon's eyes. He had believed he would fear this moment, but as the half demon was holding him – he felt no fear – only warmth – and a comfort in the thought that he was not dying alone.

The half demon sighed softly, "No name, I have no need of such things ...but I guess I do had a kind of description of what I am, that I use when I think of myself. From my ears, I figure I am some kind of dog. That is pretty obvious, so I refer to what I am as Inuyasha, Dog Demon, just that nothing else."

Naraku smiled, as the light faded from his eyes, "Suits you.. I wish.. I hope.. I hope that you..." the demon coughed again, the last of his blood drained from his body and the demon died peacefully. His body relaxed against the half breed an after a moment, it began to crumble and turn to dust.

The half breed, stayed where he was kneeling on the now empty street. He looked at his hand, the acid from the demon's blood had eaten away most of the layers of skin and flesh. It would probably have saved him a great deal of pain – if he had ripped the demon's heart from his body, and left the demon to die. But.. he could not do that.. talking to someone – was such a rare occurrence, and the pain – he was used to that. If it scarred, what was one more.

He inhaled deeply, breathing the scent of his blood, the rot and decay around him, "Hope..." he whispered softly.. "What is that? I think that was the first thing that died.. in this part of me.."

_He closed his eyes, and sank into himself. The energy of the collar, as it always did, scorched his being as he went deeper, he, as always accepted and ignored the pain._

"Are you alright?" a gentle voice said to his right.

"Keh! You should have taken the offer, demons are much better than humans." A rough voice said to his left.

Two hands came around his shoulders and helped him stand. It was strange, the feeling of being touched and not touched.. it was all the gentle touch he got – and so he was grateful – but it was still him – touching himself.

Inside a small domed area deep in his mind, Inuyasha looked at the two halves of himself. "I am alright I have to be, and do you really think that I should have gone with the demon? You know it would only be a matter of time."

His demon side shrugged, "Yeah, this was not a proper honourable demon. He would have wanted our Pup sooner or later, so you had to kill him. But you will see, when we find a honourable demon, things will be better." His demon side seemed strong and complete, he was red eyed, long fanged and had two purple stripes on his cheeks. He even had a fluffy while tail that he kept curled around his waist and leg. His hair was shining white and like the human counterpart's, fell past his waist.

"Not all humans are bad, our boss when we were a child was a good man, so was the gang." The dark haired human said with a sad smile. He was thin, even in spirit form the human body was bruised, damaged and scarred. But it was still strong, the will still alive in his eyes. "We did well."

The Half breed smiled, "Yeah we did." He had separated himself, compartmentalized his psyche a long time ago. It had been his one defence against the probing and the collar. At any one time, the ones on the outside could only attack one or two aspects of his mind. As long as he could keep one part separate he maintained some resemblance of self and sanity. The half breed part was the most dominant, but when his body became human, the human part rose, and he desperately locked down the demon side of him. He kept that part and the other separate and safe from the horrors that the human and half breed side of him experienced. The demon side understood and knew but was safe from feeling, the demon side came to comfort and feed strength into the human side while it recovered from what was done to it. The other was kept innocent.

"The demon kindda thought I was mad... was he right?" The half breed asked quietly.

The human and demon in unison shook their head, and both simultaneously reached out to touch the butchered short hair. "No, we are not crazy, yet, as long as the other is here, no matter how it seems, we are not crazy yet." In spite of their different voices, when the two spoke in concert they spoke as one, for ultimately they were one.

"Our inner child."

"As long as you can be a child and play – you can never be truly defeated." The half breed did not remember exactly when he had heard the words – it was while he had been wholly human externally, before his demon side was released forcibly by the Temple. He had been no more than 5 years old, even than he had never played or acted like a child. The slums were not conducive for innocence. Someone had said those words in passing, and it had stuck. He never wanted to be truly defeated.

The three figures looked up at the heart of their domed sanctuary, there slowly another sanctuary opened. The outer dome, had simple stone floors and rooms for various activities, the inner dome that opened was a lush and green forest. Not a planted garden that was the only kind of garden the half breed had seen in his life, but a forest of wild trees and flowers that he had only heard about and recreated in his psyche, to be the heart of his sanity.

A tiny half breed of 5 years old came running out. The tiny figure, saw the human and gasped with joy he changed into a human and threw himself at the human self for a hug, he was welcomed easily. Then he turned and with an equal gasp of delight he turned into a demon and sprang at the demon self – who slightly embarrassed hugged and cuddled the demon self. Then the child turned back into the half breed, and with a pure cry of pleasure tried to jump at the half breed adult. This time a human and a demon hand caught the child firmly, he squirmed trying to get at the Dominant aspect, but they held him firm, till finally he looked up with tearful eyes.. "Why don't you want to hug me?"

The half breed smiled the same empty and sad smile that he had smiled at the demon, "You know I cannot, you are the best of me, and the only way we can keep you happy is if you are not a part of me."

"But..." The child said with sadness and love in his eyes. Then he slowly beamed a smile at the half breed aspect, "You will still come and play sit in the garden for a little while? You will feel better."

"Feel better?" The human aspect made the child look at him, "Pup, What do you mean?"

"Inu, just now Pup felt really strange, like wanted to play and play and play but the feeling was wrong. It was bad somehow. So Pup went deeper into the forest to hide, and the feeling went away. Pup don't like the feeling." The child said earnestly.

The clawed hand of the demon aspect stroked the child's hair gently, "Don't worry Pup, Inuyasha dealt with it, Inu and I will come into the garden and play with you for a while, you go back in and wait for us." The demon said even as the three adult aspects exchanged looks of relief.

"Will you come too, Inuyasha?" The child asked the half breed aspect, and was unsurprised when he got a negative response. The half breed aspect only entered the garden on rare occasions. On those occasions when something really horrible had happened on the outside and all three aspects needed to hide.

"Not today, Pup. You go and play for me okay?" The pup nodded and skipped back into the garden.

"Guess we are not truly 'dead' yet if pup could feel something." 'Inu' The human side said softly.

"Hmm... I guess it was a good thing we killed the demon, we would not have been able to keep Pup safe if he had been around for too long." Yasha said with a scowl.

They both looked at the half breed, at it was strange to feel the sense of disconnect, the deadness of the part of them that survived and died over and over, to keep the rest of them intact and alive.

The demon and human, asked in concern they twin voices merging "Are you alright?"

There was pause and then all three voices spoke in concert, "I am alright – I have to be." The smiles on the three faces were identical, sad – lost – empty. "We are one, and I am me."

_They parted and the half breed returned to the conscious level of thought, leaving all that was alive about him far beneath the burning malignant energy of the collar._

The whole inner trip had taken less than two seconds in the real world. The half breed rose to his feet, the collar dictating his will. Emotionless, empty he walked silently back to the temple, expecting nothing. And receiving less than nothing.

-tbc- in less then 24 hours - groan!

PLease review to give strength - hope I survive. lol.. and seriously hope you dont get sick of me too fast - so what do you think is this different from my other stuff.., suggestions and ideas definitely needed. N keep in mind its Nano - so if you see mistake cut paste and tell me - cause I have no time to properly edit.


	2. Truth and Lies

Hmm this chapter got out of control. I wanted to give back ground and to an extent I may be giving too much back ground – the ideas just kept growing – and cause its NaNo I didnt stop the flow. Anyway I think it is all relevant and interesting – I hope you think so too.

Happy Deepavali/Diwali to all Hindus out there and all those celebrating the festival of Lights :)

Thanks for the reviews I really appreciate and need the support.

Read, review and enjoy

Chapter 2 : Truth and Lies

The half breed sat silently in the tiny cell. Two feet of space separated the sacks that acted as his resting place and the wall. He could not stretch out fully in the cell, and basically sat crunched up the whole five days of the month he was instructed to stay in the cell. The half breed considered it a small price to pay, at least in the cell he was undisturbed, and his human period was uncomfortable, but safe. He still only turned human for twelve hours of the moonless night – but the priests deemed that his masquerade as a human, required a period of 'cleansing' and since his fifteenth year he had spent five days of every month locked in a silent much too small cell, with just water and bread that he brought in with him.

None spoke to him, none visited him and none acknowledge his existence. The half breed preferred it that way. In his early years, his human nights were a time of pure nightmares. He had been smaller, younger, weaker.. so much weaker. As a half breed they had beat him, whipped him, and hurt him, but they were not so foolish to expose their most vulnerable part to him. When he turned human – the torture had turned – they had used him, defiled and debased his human self. It had begun when he had not yet seen 11 summers, when Priestess Kagome a few years older than him had discovered sex. She had been the first to use him, and then she had 'lent' him out to those who had pleased her. Males and females, young and old, they had all used him – abused him- driving his human side to the brink. To fear surfacing, to want to wish for death.

In spite of the immense pain it caused the half breed, after the third month, he had forced himself to stay above the level of the collar, even during the human nights. Though his body was human, the half breed aspect after those first harrowing months, rose to protect his human spirit. Even at eleven, the half breed felt that he could die but to survive his human and demon spirit – must – 'live'.

The half breed cocooned his human spirit so that the pain and humiliation was felt from a distance, their demon side kept safe in their sanctuary was not allowed to know what actually occurred, he only knew that the humans had hurt his human self – deeply. And the demon aspect would comfort the human aspect later. The Demon aspect had never asked – while it would not admit it – the demon side understood that to survive they needed to pretend that what they lived though did not matter, and perhaps to an extent pretend that it did not happen.

As the half breed protected his human side, more and more of him had died, his body may react – but his eyes became dead – he did not respond; and by his thirteenth year outwardly he showed nothing. He did not react no matter how badly his human body was degraded. That is when they had beat him instead. The half breed could not count the number of bones that had been broken in his thirteenth and fourteenth year as they sought to make him react. The only reaction they got was his screams of agony, when a bone broke, nothing else.

Then they had put the blood lust in him.

Some of the younger priests had been experimenting on their 'pet', believing that they could trap his Demonic energy and use it as part of their magic. They had been wrong, his demon was safe deep inside him, instead the collar had reacted negatively to the magicks, and IT had taken over his body – going mad, seeking blood and destroying all in its path. The dark magic in the collar – had wanted the half breed, wanted to merge fully with the half breed – to become the half breed. It had whispered seductively that the collar would no longer restrict the him, that he and the collar would become one. The half breed had not been fooled, the if he had merged with the dark magicks, the sanctuary of brightness inside him would be destroyed and the other parts of him would be 'eaten' by the collar. That he would never allow, they would never die by his choice. Only by others actions.

So for the first time, much to the delight of their Pup, he had himself retreated from the darkness contaminating his being and taken sanctuary in the Garden. Using his body, the beast created by the collars' dark magic had wrecked chaos in the temple. The magicks had battered at the walls of the sanctuary, but the four aspects inside had been almost at peace. The older aspects fully expected the temple to kill them that day. But fate had other plans.

It seemed just a matter of luck and timing, for what his body was doing the Temple's residents would have quite happily killed him... except on that day as the beast had been released another was visiting the temple.

Sitting in the peace of the Garden, they had waited. It came as a surprise to the half breed that instead of death the battering of dark magicks on the walls of their sanctuary had suddenly stopped. And he felt something – calling him – tugging at him. His smile had been regretful, when without hesitation he stood and walked out of the sanctuary. It was what he had to do, to stay within would be to wish for oblivion ...and the half breed wished for nothing.

Golden eyes fluttered open, and widened owlishly in surprise. An old wrinkled face hovered above him. A human, whose eyes held something that was missing within the walls of this temple of light , gentle kindness.

Lady Kaede, high Priestess of the Temple of a city to the South, happened to be visiting when the possessed body of the half demon had lashed out. Before any of the others had time to 'put the mongrel down' she had stepped in – declared it was a possession – and had cleansed the collar of the extra magicks that had caused it to go out of control. The collar had made her uneasy ...and she would have removed it, but High Priestess Kikyo had informed her sister priestess that she should stop her 'interference' in matters pertaining to her Temple. Bound by convention, the older priestess had hesitated, golden eyes had opened, and the moment she may have removed the collar without Lady Kikyo's permission, had passed.

The older High Priestess was still suspicious and had 'borrowed' their 'pet' for the duration of her stay as her body guard. The half breed for the seven days the old women was there had been free of chains, beatings and other forms of torture. The old woman had asked a lot of questions, questions that the half breed found he could not answer. Maybe it was shame; maybe it was fear; maybe it was denial, but the half breed just could not find the words to tell her of how he was treated. The old woman had called him 'child', and treated him like he was worth something... he could not tell her anything that would change her opinion of him.

Since the old women had made it clear, the incident was the fault of the seven (now dead) priests who had cast the spells, the Temple had declared the half breed 'innocent' of the 'crime.' Since the declaration had been made, they could not go back on it when Kaede left. Once the older Priestess had departed, the half breed fully expected to receive all the punishment that he had missed out on for a week at once – instead he had been given a 'gift'. Well, the Temple had seen it as punishment – he felt it was a 'gift'.

Lady Kikyo had declared that the Temple had become too complacent with the half breed, his evil masquerade as a human lowered their defenses, enticed them and caused them to act in a matter that was beneath them – by actually touching the half breed. She herself found sex to be something alien to her, but she had indulged the small pleasures of the younger priestess. She was regretful, that her kindness in allowing the half breed some human contact had been so betrayed, and to protect them all from further contamination had decreed that to interact with the half breed on his human night was taboo. And so the ritual of locking the half breed away for five days and nights had begun.

The time in the cell, was a period of recovery for his battered body, it could have been a time to rejuvenate his spirit, but it was not. A part of the half breed hated the five days, it was a distant, cool hatred but it was there. Air did not move in the cell, there were no windows to see the stars and the sun, no plants... nothing but the walls and cold iron bars. His spirit yearned to be anywhere but the cell, even chained, he would have preferred to be outside. The mockery and torture he could endure, but the absence of nature made a deep part of him twist and writhe. Always the five days, while it healed his body – made his spirit feel lost.

Priestess Kagome had at first been infuriated by the decree, the mongrel was 'hers' after all. After the first five nights, she had probed deep into the half breeds mind. She had been denied access to his body, so instead she had raped his mind, and she had been delighted to see that he did find the five nights to be a punishment. She had luxuriated in his discomfort and pain, and deemed the five nights essential for the good of all involved. Before she could understand why he hated the cell, the half breed had killed the desire for nature inside him, by his sixteenth year he no longer consciously knew why he did not like the cell. That had been the last thing he had consciously wanted, when he realized how easy it was for them to take even the sun, the moon and the breeze from him, he had know that he could want for nothing. Wanting for anything external to himself made him weak, vulnerable; that parts of him died by his own will, to keep those tiny hidden sparks of him alive was enough.

He survived and for a creature like him – it was enough.

Every time he left the cell, Priestess Kagome was the first being he saw. She made sure of that, she stood there with her false smile, as he knelt in subjugation before her, the collar forcing his head to her feet. She petted his ears, making sure to pinch and twist, commented on how ugly he was, and graciously presented him with the chains that would adorn him for the next 4 weeks. If they expected battle, and danger to the priestess, his chains would be lighter – easier to remove, if it was a period of peace, or of festivals, the chains were heavier and rougher.

Truth be told, Kagome hated the half breed. From the moment she had first seen him as a boy of nine, a child of the slums walking with the grace of kings, she had desired him. They had released the Demon sleeping deep inside the boy, and she had expected him to be demonic, evil. But he had not, darkness did not touch the boy. There had been a light inside the boy that had shone brighter then her own, that had been unacceptable. She convinced herself that it was a trick, that the light in the half breed was an act of the devil, to mislead them.

She and the teaching of the Temple of Light alone were the true light. So they had sought to convert the light in the boy, own it, and if they could not own it, destroy it. It was a thing of falsehood after all; sent by the Devil to trick them.

There was a truth only shared by Lady Kikyo and her chosen successor Lady Kagome, it was not them that had mastered the half breed, it was the collar. Never once had they been able to trick, seduce or coax the boy, to do anything without the collar to bind and force his will. They had as far as they knew killed the light that had first drawn the Temple of Light's attention to the child, but that somehow was not enough. The boy's submission and obedience to them was not enough, they could not control him without the collar, and a part of both of them – truly KNEW – that the collar was not a thing of the Light.

It was the boy's fault they had to use it on him, he had forced them to use it by shining his lies so brightly on the spiritual plane. If he had been their's willingly there would have been no need for the collar, the boy had forced them to use it. And for that, they hated the boy.

Kagome especially knew, the boy had planted the seeds of lust inside her. She would have always been a picture of control if the boy had not done things to anger her, had just obeyed her ever wish willingly. Her anger, her lack of control and her lusts were all HIS fault. She was the one that was important after all, but no, he had been his own person. He had wanted nothing from them, had wanted nothing to do with her, - after planting the seeds of desire in her – that was unacceptable, totally and absolutely unacceptable. Kagome's hatred for the boy, for what she perceived to be his fault was only dwarfed by one thing, her desire to own the half breed utterly, without the collar! That twisted desire of hers, more than anything else had kept the half breed alive.

In recent years, more than that had kept the half breed alive. They would never admit it, but they needed him.

In the half breed's seventeenth, the humans had gone to war with the Demons. Humans were very good at breeding, not so good at controlling their population to match the resources available. Over populated human cities had looked at the vast lands of the Demons and Seraphim with envy. The leaders of the Major Cities had banded together to take some land of the Demons as their own. They had been confident that if they stole the Demons land the Seraphim whom were rumored to be at odds with the demons would assist them in battle against the Demons. Their assumptions had been wrong.

The Seraphim and Demons in truth, had been in a state of peace for over a hundred years, The humans with their limited dealings with others races, just had not caught up with the latest news. The Seraphim had ignored the humans plea for assistance in the war, and it fact it was rumored that certain Seraphim Princes had offered to assist the Demon Lords against the humans. The offer had been politely turned down, as seriously, the Demons had not needed the help.

The humans had attempted to steal the lands of the Demon Lord of the West, the Lord whose lands were closest to the humans' boarder. The Demon King had confidently left the matter in the hands of the Demon Lord of the West. The problem was human over population, the Demon Lord of the West had in the battles rather effectively made that not such a big problem anymore. The Demon king observed matters from a far, and after three years had declared that human population was at acceptable levels, and ordered the Demon Lord of the West to stop playing with the humans and get back to more serious matters. Rather bored with the easy game himself – the Demon Lord of the West finally accepted a plea for peace, and choose to open negotiations with Lady Kaede of the South, honoring her as a human worthy to trust.

Lady Kikyo's city of the West was the nearest large City, but the leaders of that city were not exactly worthy of trust.

Being relatively close to the battle fields, as well as a main instigator of the war, the City of the West had been a natural magnet for enemies and assassins. In the three years, both demon and human rebels had sought the death of the leaders of the Temple of Light – and while NOT a single member of the Temple of Light would admit it, the only thing that had stopped the assassination attempts from being successful was the strength and speed of their half breed 'pet.'

The half breed was never told of this, but in the five days he spent in the cell, he was not the only one, who was not allowed to leave their quarters. Lady Kikyo, Lady Kagome and other members of the priesthood went on a spiritual retreat during the five nights, they hid behind their spiritual barriers – putting all their powers to buffering their defenses – to keep up the pretense that they did not need the half demon. Since the break out of war, and the first assassination attempt that had been halted due to sharp hearing and sharp reflexes- except on those five nights -the half demon was kept close to the upper powers in the Temple. Cloaked, hidden, chained, not allowed to speak, the half demon did what he had to do, protected those abusing him.

He was such a well hidden secret, that even after three years of war. After stopping numerous assassination attempts, his existence was but a semi-interesting rumor.

The death of the Lust Demon, and the claim made by the Priestess of the Western Temple of Light that THEY were responsible for ridding the world of that abomination however, drew the attention of the Demon Lord of the West to that City. He had always found that human city in particular to be beneath his notice, he had had no desire to visit a City he deemed as the worst example of Human existence. But the death on the Lust Demon within the close confines of a city.. that was a curiosity, and for the first time, the City of the West drew the attention of the Demon Lord.

-tbc-

well PLEASE tell me what you think.

Yeah catching up on NaNo word count. ** Trembles in fear from Fluffy Green Combs cracking whip of doom!


	3. Demon Lord's Tale

For those who don't know "NaNo" is in reference to the National Novel writing Month (November) it is a non-profit – nothing but satisfaction event that challenges individuals to write 50,000 words in the month of November. Its a real challenge and I urge every one to google it and give it a shot. :) Editing and second guessing self – is not encouraged – I do edit a little – but if there are mistake – cut paste and tell me – cause really time is a commodity.

Anyway thanks so much for the support. Glad you are finding this different. With most evil cloacked in good – they rarely get what they deserve... we will have to see here if they do.

Read, review and ENJOY!

Chapter 3 " Demon Lord's Tale

The palace of the Demon Lord of the West was bright and orderly, everything had a place and everyone knew their place. Lord Sesshoumaru was the second Son of the world's Demon King, and of the 4 children of the Demon King he was arguably the best warrior amongst them. His older twin Sister of exactly 21 minutes, was heir to the Demon Throne, a position that everyone was most pleased with. Princess KamiShiro was a deadly warrior, but she had the patience and charm that made her a much better diplomat than her twin brother.

There had been a time some 500 years ago when their enemies had sought to cause a rift in the royal family by urging Lord Sesshoumaru to take they position of heir. They had whispered that he would make a much better leader, was he not stronger and smarter than his sister? Did he not deserve to be more powerful? Lord Sesshoumaru had seemed to go along with the plot – it cumulated in an actual confrontation between the faction supporting Sesshoumaru and his sister, the revolter's firmly believed that Sesshoumaru would cut his sister down with ease, and become the next king.

They were rather surprised, when it was them that had been cut down instead.

KamiShiro had come in unprepared and relaxed, and her faith had not been disappointed. She had stood back and watched as her brother had efficiently disposed of those who had sought to manipulate him. The whole going along with the revolt act– had been a ploy by Sesshoumaru to draw those that would endanger his family out. He had let it go to the extent of having a confrontation, because he was well aware that KamiShiro would enjoy the destruction of the fools who believed they could drive a wedge between Inus of blood.

"You were not tempted, even a little?" KamShiro asked as her disgusted younger brother cleaned up the mess on his sword.

An imperial eyebrow rose, "Hmh! If I wanted the throne dear Sister, I would challenge you openly for it and take the throne. But I don't want it, pandering to the egos of the court, is not task I will ever relish – my freedom is much more important." Sesshoumaru replied.

KamiShiro nodded, the two made eye contact, their energies touched for a second and then both turned and walked off as if nothing of import had happened. The royal family were not physically demonstrative with each other, Sesshoumaru and KamiShrio more often then not seemed to just ignore each other, and that had created the idea that there was bad blood between the two. Nothing was further from the truth, the two were as close as their similar independent natures allowed them to be, they respected and even loved each other – and had no need to verbalize their bond in any way.

Not long after this incident, the then Lord of the West and his family of Bear Youkais were all killed in a meaningless battle with the Seraphim. The Western Lands were on the boarder of human, Seraphic and Demon Lands. It required powerful stewardship, and the Demon King came to the decision that the 1400 year war with the Seraphim had dragged on for longer than any side had wanted. He had not really wanted to split his family, but it was for the good of the world, so he had ordered Lord Sesshoumaru to go to the Lands of the West and act as their guardian. His task was to protect their lands and try to find a solution to the Demon-Seraphim war.

It had taken Sesshoumaru 300 years, but in the end he had managed to cleave alliances with key Princes among the Seraphim, and in a final battle – that was more of a show – Sesshoumaru and the most powerful Seraphim Prince had in the middle of the battle field, canceled out each other's most powerful attacks, dropped their guards and waited. The armies on both sides had been stunned when the leader of the other side had not taken advantage of the lapse in defense and attacked. Both instead had behaved with honor, and the two leaders had smiled at each other, bowed respectfully, turned and walked away. Leaving the battlefield without a backward glance. That had ended the war between the Seraphim and the Demons, and a new kind of relationship between the two races had been formed.

With his success, he earned the rank of Demon Lord and Sesshoumaru had been awarded the title Lord of the West, with all the lands, privileges and headaches that came with being the Lord of an important boarder state. The land area that was under Sesshoumaru reign was roughly the size of India, and being on the boarder had an interesting mix of residents. Lord Sesshoumaru found that being away from court and his father's direct influence was infinitely rewarding, and he went about crafting the Lands of the West into what he deemed to be the most interesting and appropriate lands in the whole world. He cared not, that others may have a different idea of what was appropriate. The Lands of the West were his, and as long as he fulfilled his obligations to the throne, it was his voice alone that commanded and ruled the Lands of the West.

Lord Sesshoumaru's lands had areas that were wild, where nature alone ruled unchecked, and any that walked within the wild lands entered at their own risk. Inhabited areas were cared for and maintained – population levels managed by the citizens themselves ensuring that they did not overtax their resources. Opening new wild lands for settlement and agriculture without the direct approval of the Demon Lord of the West was an act of suicide, for there was no mercy shown for any that went against their Lord's direct will.

Lord Sesshoumaru was stern, aloof and just. He was not loved by his people – indeed he was rather – unlovable – instead he was highly respected, revered and to a great extent feared – by those who would seek to harm the Lands of the West or the ShiroInu Youkai. The Lord rarely lost his temper, but if his eyes bled red, it was usually the last thing the ones responsible for the rising tide of scarlet saw.

Few would claim to be close the the Lord and even fewer still would dare claim to be his friend. That was how Lord Sesshoumaru preferred it.

About 5 years before the joke of a 'war' with the humans, Lord Sesshoumaru had decided that he needed a few children. He would not have official 'heirs' because if he mated and had a child – those children may possibly be contenders to the throne in the future. In the height of the war with the Seraphim, when it had seemed unending, Sesshoumaru had a long and serious discussion with his father and sister. In spite of their protests to the contrary, Lord Sesshoumaru had deemed it fit t swear that he would never have a legitimate child that may be used as a weapon against the present or future Demon King. The oath was made almost a thousand years ago, when Sesshoumaru was still a 'teen' Youkai. But he had given his word – and he would not break it. He would never have a pup with one he mated with, his oath however did not prohibit him from having illegitimate children.

Curious to experience what having children would be like, Lord Sesshoumaru had for a time focused on the task. As a result of his activities with numerous women more than willing to share his bed, Sesshoumaru had seven children of his blood ranging from two to eight years of age. The children lived in the Palace and were well cared for. Sir Jaken, an extremely loyal Toad Demon was the children's main tutor. He was diligent in his tasks, and ensured the children wanted for nothing. Regular reports were delivered to the Lord, who was most pleased with the progress reports he received on them. The Children wanted for nothing.. but they had almost no contact with their blood father.

As he was distant with the mothers of the children, (most of whom had since mated to other Youkai with Sesshoumaru's approval,) Lord Sesshoumaru found it difficult to approach the children or bond with them in the way he had with his father. His youngest was two years old because he had lost interest in having more children to see if things would be different with a new baby. Sesshoumaru was proud of his children, still there was a nagging sense that something was less than perfect about the situation. When the 7th child was born without the feeling reducing, Sesshoumaru had shrugged and decided that perhaps only mated families were created perfect. He was content as long as his children were happy and strong and he ensured that reports on their detailed progress were diligently made to him. In spite of the break out of the war, he made sure he spent time going though the reports on his children, throughly.

"My Lord Sesshoumaru, we have the information that you requested from the human city." Shouga the female flea demon said with a low bow.

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru, but please I beg you don't send us to that cursed place anymore – there was no sweet blood to drink." Myouga looked pleadingly at the Lord. His wife's fist hit him squarely on the head, "You will behave your self.. remember what happened the last time... not that I am complaining." She smirked at her husband.

Myouga cringed a little, and threw a reproachful look at his Lord who was totally unmoved, some 100 years ago, the flea had dared to drink Lord Sesshoumaru's blood with out permission. Sesshoumaru had been about to kill the pest, when Shouga had turned up and begged for his life, Sesshoumaru had relented and made one clear irrevocable condition. The cowardly flea had suddenly found marriage to be far more attractive than death. Though he still made a big deal about it in public – he had a reputation to maintain after all – the flea privately admitted, that he and his wife were a great team.

"Report." Sesshoumaru said mildly, the two fleas snapped to it as if he had shouted the command. Sesshoumaru drank deeply from his jeweled goblet of rice wine, the throne he sat on crafted for maximum comfort. Servants scurried about the council chambers serving drinks, cold cuts of rich meat and the freshest fruits to the Lords and ladies in attendance.

"It is true my Lord, the Lust Demon was killed in the middle of the city, no ranged weapons were used on him. There were no real witnesses my Lord, so we cannot tell you exactly what happened." Myouga said his voice faltered when he saw Sesshoumaru's eyes narrow in warning – wasting the Lord's time was definitely a crime. He hurried on "But the story that the Priesthood was responsible for the death of the Lust Demon is definitely a lie, we found from our investigation of the city, that according to the servants and guards, during the attack - the priests barricaded themselves in the temple and not one of them stepped outside – until after the madness had disappeared from their minds. They cannot be sure what killed the demon – but they know it was not the priests."

The female flea demon nodded and continued "In spite of that the people in the market place and the main city were happy to accept the idea that the Priesthood were in some way responsible for ridding the world of the Lust Demon. We found no one willing to think differently until we went to the slums. It is strange my Lord, this is the first city I have been to, where I find the slums to be more – well- clean – than the city." The flea said with a shake of her head.

"It was strange indeed." Myouga picked up again. "The humans in the slums, while they all did not see anything – they believe that one of their own a child of the slums was responsible for the killing of the Lust Demon – indeed they seem to believe that this creature is responsible for keeping the city safe more than the priesthood themselves." Myouga paused for effect "Awk!" he quickly hurried when a tiny drop of poison ate the area just beside his foot.

"According to the slums, a human from the slums that was turned into a demon, and kept as a guard in the palace is the one responsible for everything my Lord." Myouga said in a rush.

"A human.. turned into a demon, you were supposed to find us facts NOT fairy stories Myouga." Bankotsu one of Lord Sesshoumaru's trusted generals snapped out.

"You insult us with even the thought! A human – becoming a Demon – how disgusting!" Manten tossed his curly black hair to the side. One of the court advisors Manten was an egoistical sycophant, who had managed to get his position though his brother's loyalty and service to the Demon King. Hiten had hoped that being away from him, would force Manten to be more honorable and responsible – so far that plan was not working. Sesshoumaru's patience was running thin with the weak but rather over bearing and pretty demon, only the facts that he was careful not to make a punishable mistake and actually did the work assigned to him by the court, was keeping him in service.

Sesshoumaru raised a brow, he knew the fleas better than that – as irritating as they were, the information they got was usually worth the hassle.

The fleas did not disappoint.

"We checked it out my Lords. We could not fully confirm it because we could not go deep into the Temple of Light with out being discovered, but what we did find was interesting. The temple of light does have one of Demon blood serving them, we actually saw him from afar. It is possible that he killed the Lust Demon but we cannot be sure he did it my Lord, you see he was not a Demon – he was a Hanyou." Myouga said – ending to create an impact.

"A Hanyou? Taking out the Lust demon!" Shock rippled in the court – that was even less likely then the humans doing it.

"What kind of traitor is this Hanyou serving humans! Has he no pride in his blood?" Jinenji, the horse Hanyou court healer gasped in surprise.

Myouga actually hesitated, he looked worriedly at his wife. Suddenly somber she nodded back. The change of mood in the fleas, silenced the mutters in the court.

"My Lord Sesshoumaru, we did not say the Hanyou served the temple willingly my Lord. You see my Lord, though we only could see him from afar, we know he is strong. We believe he may be strong enough to destroy the Lust Demon my Lord. How do we know this? Well my Lord for him to have survived and walk around with that collar he wears around his neck, means that the is very very, strong." Myouga said seriously, he shivered as he remembered the dark energies that he had felt around the collar.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed even further. "Collar?" he said softly, suspicion already rising.

"Yes my Lord, it was unmistakable, I recognized its energy immediately. The Hanyou wears around his neck the Collar that was made by Moryomaru two thousand years ago to control Goshinki and attack your father. Though your father won those battles, the collar disappeared, it must have been kept in the Temple of Light my Lord, under their energy. No wonder your father could not find it." Myouga finished.

"The Dark Fang Collar of Moryomaru... that cannot be, there is no way a Hanyou could wear a collar that malignantly powerful and survive. You must be mistake." Bankotsu said with a shake of hie head.

"We are not mistaken my Lord, we were both there during that terrible battle, the energy of that collar was unmistakable. The Hanyou that wore is is a Shiro Inu.." Shouga said firmly, but was cut off by Sesshoumaru.

"The Hanyou is of no importance!" He snapped he placed the goblet precisely on the side table, and stood. "That collar MUST be destroyed at once! The humans do not know what they are dealing with, and if they did – they are arrogantly stupid enough to belove they can control it. That the city still stands is a miracle. I do not trust such miracles. The collar must be destroyed, and the Hanyou – if he wears that collar, may need to be destroyed as well." Sesshoumaru said flatly, his word law. "We go to the City of the West at once, they WILL give me the tribute I ask for or die!"

With that everyone bowed, and hurried off to prepare. The two fleas looked at each other sadly, they remembered the chained Hanyou, hampered by chains walking in the grounds silently. In his shoes they both would have welcomed death.

Kagome inspected the half breed bowed low at her feet, he had just emerged from the 5 day cleansing. "Because you were so slow and stupid, the Lust Demon was able to destroy almost a third of the city before we stopped him. How should such incompetence be punished?" her mind stabbed into the half breeds, examining his thoughts and tossing them aside as worthless.

He foot glowed with Miko energy as she drew it back and slammed it against the side if his mouth. A tooth chipped for the impact and his lips cut against his fangs. "Answer me when I ask you a question Dog!"

"Mongrel should be punished as the Holy Priestess sees fit.' He said – well trained in the 'proper' responses.

"Huh!" She huffed. She walked around his bowed figure and wanked off the back of his shirt. There was a faded lattice of whip marks down his back, they looked at least 10 to 15 years old – if he had been human.

"When was the last time Mongrel was properly whipped?" she said as she examined the Temple's handiwork.

"Mongrel was whipped 11 days ago." Two days before he had saved the City from the Lust Demon.

"What!" Green eyes blazed is insulted fury, "How dare you speak without permission!" The collar glowed as the Priestess's will slammed the half breed into the ground. "11 days without a whipping – we have been lax in your training. Go take your position at the whipping post mongrel. 3 hours will be a good start to remind you to be more efficient in the future. You will wear the Green acid chains after. Their constant bite will be a good reminder of your place." She snapped as she turned and walked off.

He orders given, the collar made the Hanyou's body move. No thoughts of rebellion or escape crossed his mind, only a tiny unconscious sigh of pleasure left his lips as the warmth of the sun touched his skin, and the breeze stirred his cropped hair. Without hesitation he chained himself to the courtyard for his punishment. The temples-people were already lining up for their turn at the whip.

-tbc-

Okay.. long weekend so I am trying to really write as much as I can - :) before work catches me next week. I know its a lot to ask you to read, but please do and thank you so much for any feed back that yu can give. I hope you like the Canon side characters in AU. :) And Fluffy thanks fior the massage - ..purrsss...


	4. Tributes to the Demon Lord

OMG thanks dor all the support -you rock in spades.

**Fluffy GC** : coffeee- yummm. Llunge chomp! Chibi sunhawk Chomps mug, hand and arm holding coffee with enthusiasm. :D

**jdbbrz : **Thanks for continued support, Inu's parents come in much later – right now there is nothing know about them by anyone least of all Inu.

**Caitriona** : Sesshy promised in his teens, and got kids mainly cause he was curious and wanted to recreate a pack, didn't work the way he wanted – cause he kindda kept expecting it to be perfect without the daily effort. Still immature in that way I guess ;) The collar s dangerous – remember how it almost took over Inu? Thanks so much for your comments.

**Princess Sin** : Thanks, unfortunately I have to tell **Caitriona** and You, that the (*refuses to insult female puppies) have a way to go before the die horribly.

**Inumimi1 & ArtistOfLight** : Thanks :) will try to provide cherries. On Sesshy entering the City – sorry at this point it would have been disastrous – there are a few things that need to happen before they can confront the two.

**Quittie : **Err. Im guessing you havent read Strength? I think that is worse at the beginning or am I wrong? Maybe.. I dont know seriously which doo you think is worst angst wise?

Thanks to **Ryotigergirl, river girl, usilang, DTDY, konekochan, sessinulover and Raven** for your review really thank you for the motivation and support writing daily is HARD! :)

Read, review and enjoy

**Chapter 4 : Tributes to the Demon Lord**

Lord Sesshoumaru had initially wanted to sweep into the City of the West and destroy the collar. But the oldest most respected advisor in court Bakusen'O advised against it. If the Demon Lord of the West went to the human city himself to collect something as simple as this- it would seem strange, suspicious, and perhaps give the humans more information than was necessary. To not tip their hand and have the humans balk unnecessarily at handing over the collar, Bakusen'O advised that they should make it seem that they were asking for the Hanyou instead, and that the Demon Lord should NOT go himself to such a messy City. There was another more practical reason of course, the collar had been made specifically to destroy Lord Sesshoumaru's father, and it was highly likely if the Demon Lord with such close blood links to the Demon King came into close proximity to the collar - it may awaken and put all in close proximity to the Collar in danger. Destroying the collar – while in some ways a simple thing – needed to be done correctly – in order to contain any backlash that the collar's destruction may cause.

Seeing the wisdom in his advisors words, Sesshoumaru had to reevaluate his plans. Discussions late into the night were carried out with his council and a plan of action was crafted.

As soon as the cock crowed at dawn, Lord Sesshoumaru used the communication mirrors to summon Lady Kaede. The huge mirror clouded and after a few minutes Lady Kaede's weathered face appeared in the glass. The communications mirrors were old and common magic, almost every relatively well off family had them in the Demon and Seraphim lands. The mirrors were usually small and allowed individuals to see and talk to someone over great distances. Powered by magic, the larger the mirror the greater the amounts of magic required to power it. The largest of mirrors, like the one owned by Lord Sesshoumaru – could be used to teleport individuals from one point to another. To use the mirrors for teleportation, a great deal of planning and communication was required, spells had to be triggered at precisely the same second on both sides of the mirror – and ONLY the one who owned the mirror on the receiving side could open the gateway for some traveler to come though. This ensured that the mirrors could not be misused, and if the receiving side did not accept the traveler – the traveler – would die trapped in suddenly solid and common glass.

Lord Sesshoumaru nodded regally at the Old Priestess in the mirror, "Lady Kaede, As Lord of the West and the representative of the Voice of the Demon King, I have decided on the terms of the treaty that will stop the continued slaughter of humans armies by my guards."

The Lady blinked in surprise, "Oh my, Lord Sesshoumaru, why are we suddenly so formal?" She asked softly, they had in the last three months developed a unique level of respect for each other. They were both good leaders and were genuinely friendly. "Not that it does not fill me with relief to finally have some terms to negotiate with – negotiating with someone who truly wants or needs nothing from us has been frustrating."

Sesshoumaru's lips twisted in a half smile, he had been willing to accept the peace, without any concessions from the humans other than they DONT enter his lands again uninvited, but Lady Kaede had gently reprimanded him – saying that it was a matter of pride on both sides that – something be given to the Demons for the troubles the humans caused. Lord Sesshoumaru's liking for the old woman had bloomed at that second – he highly doubted that any other human would agree with the old Priestess sentiment. Her candor and pride, had been interesting and novel, drawing his respect. Her age giving her leave to speak to him in a manner that would have gotten anyone else killed instantly.

"I speak formally, Lady Kaede because this is a formal demand from the Demons to stop the war, if it is not given to us, we will continue the war – and will destroy at least one of your cities as a lesson to humans to better manage their populations – and to not wake sleeping Dog Demons.

Lady Kaede's eyes widened, she straightened and became serious. She nodded sharply and with a wave of her hand summoned other Priests into the communication room. If the Demons were serious about the demands – more than her had to hear the requests. "Demon Lord Sesshoumaru has his demands ready, you will listen and evaluate." She told her Priests that represented other City States into the room, each carried a small mirror. The Demons watched as the Priests chanted and the mirrors showed all the faces of the Leaders of the City States in the reflective surfaces. The High Priest or Priestess of the City States tended to be the second most powerful leader in that City State, the civil power of the City's army and Lord tended to balance and keep in check the power of the Temple. Sesshoumaru noted silently that it was a telling thing that the only Mirror that showed the face of the leader of the Temple of Light rather than the City's actual Lord was the City of the West.

Suddenly he actually wished that they would deny the tribute, destroying that City may actually be doing humans a favor as well.

With the other leaders there, Sesshoumaru withdrew slightly to be an imposing silent presence in their screens. Bakusen'O and Bankutso both came forward to act as his Voice and give them the terms.

Bakusen'O smiled almost gently, his face even more weathered then Lady Kaede's. Though he was in humanoid form, his skin was a rich brown and his skin bark-like. The tree Demon spoke "There is nothing really that human's can offer Demons, WE need nothing from you, except your obedience and corporation. To that end it has been decided that we will claim one thing from each of the Nine City States that is unique or of interest to us. We will only take one thing from each city, and what we decided to take will be non-negotiable."

"You will NOT take our children, our people will NOT be slaves." The Lord of the North West Mountain hold said firmly – he was a family man – and the people of his City were more like his children than citizens.

Bankotsu scowled, "My Lord we said we will take what we find to be unique or of interest – humans do not fall into this category. We give you our assurance we will NOT claim a full blooded human – no matter how powerful - as tribute from any of your City States, nor will we claim anything that is acknowledged and revered as important and essential to your City's health and survival. For instance we will not claim, the bow of Heaven from your Great Northern City nor the Gown of the Heavenly Maiden that breathes life to your desert fort."

Bakusen'O nodded almost encouragingly, "For the interest of expedience, let me inform you we are interested in particularly Demonic and Seraphic items. Shall we make the terms precise; each City is allowed to make one exception of an Item we cannot claim. You may, to make it more efficient, present items of value to our representatives. Our representative MAY or MAY NOT choose an item from what you have selected, what we claim will be of what we – not you - deem to have value. Our representatives will be at your Cities in exactly one week from today, we will travel to your Cities by air, but once we claim the item we will teleport back immediately. We do not wish for any incidents to occur in transport of the items to the demon Lands. Now are you agreeable or not?"

"What! This is supposed to be a peace negotiation.. your so called representative have to choose from what we.." Lady Kikyo began, only to be cut off when the ancient tree demon suddenly stared straight into her eyes. The deep mahogany eyes bore into Kikyo's very soul, and what he saw inside has his eyes hardening and his face growing stern. His words were smooth and as unbending as oak.

"Lady of the City of the West, you misunderstand, this is not a peace negotiation, this is Tribute that you are paying to the Demons for the inconvenience your reckless attack on our lands has caused. Consider it a lesson in humility. Our terms are reasonable and non-negotiable, if you find it unsatisfactory, we will go to our second – and to some – our preferred option. You have one chance to accept this offer, reject, betray or try to squirm out of your agreement, and we will instead level ONE of your cities – and make that the appropriate lesson. Unless it is another City that rejects the offer, the City of the West is most conveniently placed is it not?" The old tree stared the powerful Priestess down.

Finally her face pale, she turned and nodded sharply, "No need for blusterous threats, the City of the West accepts your terms." The other leaders all nodded and gave consent as well, Kaede wholly approved of her Lord who agreed and was one of the four Lords who invited the representative to stay in their City State a little longer to enhance human-demon relationships. She wondered about what it was that Lord Sesshoumaru really wanted – it could be seen as an obvious act to show the world that the humans had been defeated – but Lady Kaede did not underestimate Lord Sesshoumaru. What was it that he really wanted? She knew she would not be able to figure it, humans and demons saw the world differently after all.

In shorty order the negotiations came to a close and the mirrors only reflected their own faces once more.

The week passed quickly, trusted demons were sent to the nine City States, Bankotsu himself was sent to the Cit of the West, they all arrived in their cities on the same appointed day. Tributes were teleported into the courtyard of the City of the west. A huge Glyph in the courtyard, prepared for the arrival of the collar. As arranged the Tribute from he City of the West would come last, Lord Sesshoumaru was amused that the items being presented as tribute were actually interesting and of worth.

The Desert Fort was the first to send tribute, a pink rose quartz crystal, twice the size of an ostrich egg, flawless in quality and design. As a power focus for those who resonated with the crystal it would be invaluable.

Bakusen'O had gone to the South West City, and had predictably reclaimed a sheath made from his tree bark in tree form that had been accidentally found by a woodcutter two hundred years ago and stored rather ingloriously in the human Lord's stable. Bakusen'O was a little insulted that the humans had not seen how magnificent his sheath was. In truth other then the high quality of the wood there really was nothing magical or even overly artistic about the sheath. The humans had been rather amused by the tribute item, and the South West City was now taking effort to create a better alliance with the Demons.

The Southern City's tribute was a two headed 'finding staff', that could also breathe fire. A demonic weapon they had claimed from a previous battle.

The South Eastern City state was a poor agricultural city, that was in no way war like and had very little to offer. Jinenji, who had wanted to be a representative, had been sent there as it was the least dangerous of all the City States. Sesshoumaru came close to laughing when the tribute from them was in retrospect unsurprising. Three huge cartfuls of what seemed to be weeds were teleported though. Jinenji, had insisted it was 'treasure' and had requested leave to stay in the City for a few weeks to negotiate further trade of the rare plants. Sesshoumaru had given his permission, well aware that to the Horse Hanyou the medicinal herbs were indeed worth their weight in gold.

The Eastern City renowned for their weaving gave tribute of a chest containing three pieces of clothing. Each outfit was unique and possessed special properties.

The North Eastern City's Tribute did make the Demon Lord laugh -evilly, it was a book. Almost waist high, the book's cover contained Seraphic feathers that had been freely donated. When humans opened the book they saw nothing except scribbles in a language they could not read. But Sesshoumaru saw differently it was a book made by a really powerful human, who had been privileged to live with the Seraphim royal family centuries ago. The book contained exquisite detailed childhood paintings and stories of a certain powerful Seraphim prince, that Sesshoumaru would bet had no idea of the books' existence. Their next encounter was going to be.. 'interesting.'

Sango, a kangaroo demoness serving Sesshoumaru had gone to The Great Northern City's as tribute she had taken two items, well technically she had taken one and the other had followed. The Great Northern City had offered her an unhatched Dragon's Egg. The Egg had been with the city for almost 70 years, the baby Dragon should have hatched decades ago, but seemed reluctant to be born. The human Lord rather candidly admitted, he was offering the tribute of the Egg as he hoped the Demons would be able to help the baby dragon be born as all the human effort had failed. Sango saw little value in it, but agreed as for all the kingdom's wealth there was nothing truly unique they were interested in. Kilala a two tailed demon cat – that had been the Egg's sitter for the best part of the last 70's years, followed to keep an eye on her 'egg.' Sesshoumaru had been rather skeptical about the offering, Sango carefully placed the egg in his hands for inspection. Everyone except Sesshoumaru flinched when with a loud crack, the egg in Sesshoumaru's hands split open and a two headed baby dragon blinked at his chosen Lord. A smile slowly crossing his face, Sesshoumaru petted the two heads, his children would have a new playmate and protector – the two tailed cat purred around his boots – no they would have two.

The North Western Mountain hold, was another city that had very little of interest to offer. They had offered what they could diamonds and precious gems that took a great deal of time and effort to mine, and were the City's precious source of income. The Demon Representative chose to ignore the offerings – and instead requested an exquisite crystal statue of a human, demon and Seraphim holding a globe as tribute. The crystal statue was crafted by the Lord's Sister and they were more than happy to surrender it as tribute. Sesshoumaru agreed that the unique piece of art was tribute enough.

With all potential distractions settled, the courtyard was cleared for the main event. They waited for Bankotsu to bring the collar to the Demon Lord for its destruction.

-tbc-

lol okay this was a NaNoWriMo word count- writing trick. I'll admit I did kindda extend the chapter by talking about the gifts – it was fun though and – also consider this a breather before the story gets – err... hmmm... no clues – update REAl real soon.

Hmm any suggestion and ideas?


	5. Changing Ownership!

OMG- two posts a day! Thanks to all my readers and reviewers. Love you lost and I dont think it gets faster than this hehehe!

River girl : big thanks to you cause most of how this was written is to answer some of the questions you posed

Read, review and Enjoy!

**Chapter 5 : Changing Ownership!**

Bankotsu walked through the City of the West, his nose twitched as he felt the energies of the city pulse and ebb around him. He was glad, fiercely glad that he had spared Lord Sesshoumaru this trip, there was something corrupt about this city, something rotten, polluting. What ever it was it seemed to be slowly spreading its poison – destroying everything in the city. He wondered if the humans could see themselves – how far they had sunk. He wondered if the humans of this city would even care.

The Temple of Light and its opposing force the Temple of Dark, both were worshiped by humans. The Temple of Dark worshiped Devils. It irritated Bankotsu and every other Demon he knew, that humans equated Devils to Demons. Hmm it irritated the Seraphim that they were equated with Angels as well, the beings that powered the Temple of Light. Both Angles and Devils were not of their world they were creatures from the dimensions the soul passed through after death and before rebirth. Demons and Seraphim however were of this world, they were born and they died in this world. Sure Demonic and Seraphic lifespans were about 6,000 years and humans (Those few that managed to live that long) only about 500 years, but they were all from and of this world.

Bankotsu put his musing aside, as he approached the Lord's palace. The doors were open and a greeting party was there to meet him. The Lord, a timid man, greeted him profusely at the gate, the Lady of the Temple had yet to show herself. Bankotsu smiled tightly, just as they planned – they would not find appropriate tributes until later in the day. The Lord took him though the Castle and while it was opulent - there was nothing in the way of magic or items of power there. The Lord's eyes for all his outward timidity, had a cunning smile in their depths. His every other word was about how powerful the Temple was in comparison, to his poor holdings.

No wonder the City was so decayed – it was lead by vipers and rats.

After an acceptable period, Bankotsu demanded that they take him to the temple to see the items of tribute that the temple could offer, the demons had no need for the Gold offered by the Lord. The Lord sagged with relief, and almost cheered as Bankotsu made his way to the temple.

Led to the Temple Bankotsu smiled, his fang peeked out, as he casually rested his hand on his great sword, the real show was about to begin.

The Priests met the Demon General at the gates, and he was led into the main hall of the temple. Bankotsu's eyes swept the hall taking in everything.

High Priestess Kikyo sat on an elaborate throne, in her full Priestly garbs. Priests and Priestess of clearly high status stood on both her sides. Guards were everywhere. There was a large table to the side covered in rich cloth- hat was obviously the items for tribute Bankotsu found that he was a little curious as to what this Temple would offer. There was a lot of energy in the room, and he could not see the Hanyou as yet.

"Welcome representative of the Demon Lord." Lady Kikyo said her voice flat and controlled.

"Lay Kikyo, thank you for your most generous hospitality." Bankotsu smiled engagingly. Hell he was going to enjoy himself. "Shall we commence our business?"

"By all means, know this the item that you may not claim is the Shikon no Tama." Lady Kikyo said imperialistically, "You may not even gaze up on the gem – Demon!" the last word was had a hint of a sneer.

Bankotsu bowed elegantly as if in agreement, actually he bowed to hide his shock. The Shikon No Tama was here? The human was so stupid that she would release information like that so easily... no – not stupid – arrogant. It seemed that this city had the ability to harbor items that were much better off destroyed. Dammit, the problems of this human City was far beyond his authority, the Demon King would have to be told about this. Bankotsu sincerely hoped that the Jewel they had was a fake. Still that was not his mission at this time. He straightened and smiled, focusing on the Mission.

"Done, that will not be what we will even seek to claim." He would not say the name of the accursed thing aloud. "What do you have on offer for us, as tribute for your defeat?"

"How dare you!" A young Priestess, with flashing green eyes and cloaked in arrogance stepped forward. Her Priestly powers were strong, but to a demon of his caliber they were next to nothing.

"How dare I not what? Do you have a problem with the truth." Bankotsu deliberately taunted, these humans more than any he had met – actually turned his stomach.

"You filthy...!" Priestess Kagome actually glowed in anger.

"Kagome!" Lady Kikyo snapped, drawing her up short, "It is the nature of dogs to bark. You can hardly expect a demon to be more than he is, I do not want him in our holy temple longer than necessary, let us get this over with."

Kagome calmed down immediately, inhaled deeply and walked to the covered table. Bankotsu seemed to be watching her – in actuality his focus was on the faint sound of tinkling chains he had heard, when Lady Kagome had almost caused a scene. The priests almost unconsciously had all moved a little, clearing a path, from near a dark pillar to him. Unless he was completely mistaken his target was hidden in the darkness there. His mind shifted though the energies in the hall, he had never seen the collar before so he did not recognize the energy it emitted. But he could now sense clearly the strange malignant energy contained near the pillar.

The hanyou was rumored to protect the Priestess and her chosen heir, Lady Kikyo was too controlled, but the other one,... hmmm... yes he was going to enjoy himself.

"Little girl, I guess being a human hampers you in many ways, but do hurry and show what you are offering in Tribute to the Great Demons." Bankotsu said pleasantly, the human's whole body twitched. She glared daggers at the Demon but managed to hold her temper. With a toss of her rich black hair she grabbed the silk and exposed the artifacts beneath. The City of the West were out to impress with their offerings.

Bankotsu came forwards and examined the offerings. The first was a short tree, with strange glowing fruit, the Demon recognized the tree.. it would do nicely. "A tree, is that your first offering? Hardly worth my time." He said with a slight sneer.

"How dare you?" Kagome gasped rising to the bait, "You arrogant Youkai that is the rare tree of Never ending.. "

"Rare?" Bankotsu cut her off with a bark of laughter, "You must be joking? Rare in improvised human lands perhaps. The trees of Never Ending Honey Fruit, is common in almost all garden in the Demon Kingdom. Are humans really so pathetic you find something like this unique?" The human priestess breathing was heaving and erratic, her eyes glazing with anger.. one more push was all he needed. Bankotsu grin was pure evil, "But I do understand how you find it valuable, it must be dear to you," He dropped his voice in a pseudo whisper of understanding, "After all, you do indulge in the fruit often don't you? It is good, Demon males prefer women who are well rounded and stout, your thighs are really deliciously fat."

Red, is too mild a term to describe the color that Kagome saw.

Forgetting everything she grabbed the tree in question and hurled it at the face of the Demon, breaking all protocol. If the tree had hit the Demon the Demons could easily claim that the humans broke the treaty and level the City. Lady Kikyo understanding the danger shouted an order before the tree even left Kagome's hands.

Bankotsu could easily have phased out of the way, instead he smiled mockingly. The tree flying before her, Kagome followed, her hands glowing she lunged towards the smirking Demon. Her Miko energy charged nails dug into unprotected flesh. The scent of rich blood filled the air. Everyone froze.

Half his chains dangling from his limbs, the half breed stood between the Demon and the Miko, her claws dug deep into his unprotected back. The tree held secure in his hand caught a few inches away from the Demon's face. The diplomatic disaster had been averted.

The smirk left Bankotsu's lips, the first thing that hit him was the power of the collar. A Brown Inu himself, the collar was an abomination. He could not hide his shudder of disgust as he stared at the collared form in front of him.

The second thing that hit him, was that strangely empty golden – not brown – not yellow – but golden eyes, acknowledged the shudder of disgust. No emotion registered in his face, the Hanyou dropped his head in a low bow. Keeping his head low, without a word he stepped back and with extraordinarily gentle hands placed the Tree carefully back on the table. He glanced at Lady Kikyo, who gestured with her fingers, he sank to his knees, head lifted slightly, keeping track of what was going on in the room. A dog on guard. The blood running down his back, and the acid pain of the Miko's nails were ignored by the half breed and everyone else.

The half breed had not been the only one to see the shudder of disgust. "Lady Kagome – your behavior is regrettable, apologize to the representative of the Demon Lord and step back."

Kagome looked at her blood covered hands and went red, She hid her hands behind her back, and bowed as well. "My Lord Demon, forgive me, my actions were childish. But thank the light no harm was done and I pray sincerely you forgive my small loss of senses."

Childish? Small loss? The human called drawing blood from a Hanyou a childish act? Bankotsu was amazed, but he had a goal and for now – it was not to level this stinking city. The female human was glaring at the Hanyou as if the whole thing was somehow his fault. Bankotsu's eyes narrowed, there was a strange look of lust in the humans eyes as she glared at the bowed and cloaked figure. She would not surrender her pet easily. Well – too bad for her – she had just provided him the ammunition he needed to silence her.

He ignored the younger Priestess and looked at Lady Kikyo, "It seems that the Temple allows children to take part in negotiations. Very well I will overlook this insult once – on the condition that the out of control and plump Priestess be not allowed to address me. Her voice is rather grating." Bankutso kept an eye on the Hanyou as he said those words – there was absolutely no reaction from him – not a twitch, nothing. Just blank.

"Forgive us if the half breed insults your senses, it is a barely competent guard dog. It is rare that he has the chance to be in such illustrious company, so I hope you will indulge our little pet his treat." Lady Kikyo said easily.

Bankotsu had to force himself not to react, how the hell was this a 'treat', even if he had not come for the collar – there was no way in hell he was going to allow the half breed to stay in the clutches of these creatures. He wondered what the half breed hid beneath the hood. "It is fine, shall we continue?"

Kikyo nodded as she herself came to show the items, Kagome backed away her face red with anger and embarrassment.

The second item on offer, was a harp, with both demonic and seraphic qualities. It was exquisitely carved and the music it created would have magical properties. If not for already having his prize in sight, Bankotsu would have taken the harp as a worthy tribute. The third item made Bankotsu really, really want to tear the city apart. The humans dared call them monsters? On the table was a cloak made of Serpahim feathers, given willingly these cloaks allowed their true owners to soar, these feathers were not given willingly. The humans may not know it, but some day soon when in use, the cloak will stop working and the wearer will come crashing to the earth. Mayhap when they attacked this city, certain Princes should be invited to the party.

Bankotsu's stomach was churning – he wanted out of this cursed city - now.

He glanced around again and straightened, time to bring this little drama to a close. "Your protector seems to be hurt, should you not have something essential for your defense better cared for?" Bankotsu said casually, as he pointed to the small pool of blood that had formed beneath the Hanyou.

Lady Kikyo's eyes widened, she glanced at the others in the room, and as one all the Priests began to laugh. "Our protector? Our Protector... surely you jest, as if the Temple of Light would require an abomination of dirty blood as a protector. There is nothing essential about the Mongrel, it is a reflection of the kindness and generously of the temple of Light that we have given succor and reason for living to such a vile beast."

Bankotsu watched them laugh, and watched the Hanyou sit alert and unmoving, a doll would have had more reaction than the Hanyou. Not possessing the ability to read minds – Bankotsu could not help but wonder if the Hanyou even had a mind. Perhaps it would be best if the hanyou did die from the backlash of the removal of the collar. That would be Lord Sesshoumaru's problem, he needed to focus on matters at hand. His lips twisted in a smug smile, check!

Lady Kikyo stopped laughing at the smile, she crocked her hear at the Demon, "You have decided on the Tribute?"

"Yes Indeed." Bankotsu took out a small mirror. Placed in to the ground and quickly drew rings spiraling out of the mirror – till the circle was about 3 feet in diameter. Mirror at its heart, the circle would be the actual portal to teleport through. The Demon Lord's face appeared in the mirror and he nodded sharply all was ready for the destruction of the collar.

Bankotsu looked at the Priests and smiled fakely, "We will claim an item that is not fully of human blood, has demonic elements, is unique and is not essential to the safety and welfare of your City. I know what we claim, in the name of Lord Sesshoumaru – Demon Lord of the West, we claim the hanyou as our Tribute."

"WHAT!" Shocked gasps came from all over the room.

"I will NOT allow that!" a screech was heard in the hall.

Bankotsu dropped his fake smile, and allowed Kikyo to see his contempt, "That child is NOT to speak! The Hanyou is controlled, you will surrender that control to the Demon King NOW! Or your city will Not be standing tomorrow." With a open portal to the Demon Lord pulsing in the ground – and the Demon's the mirror's owner – it was not an empty threat. Lady Kikyo's eyes widened as she realized it. Bankotsu's smile was barbed. "Check mate!"

She ground her teeth but had to save face, she silenced Kagome with a look. "Demon's are true fools," She said with a false smirk of her own. "There is no need for stupid threat – to take the mongrel when there are true treasures on offer. Fools. Very well take your prize." She chanted slowly, her hands stretched out towards the half breed, who was finally reacting. A look of shock and then horror on his face. "Mongrel, you are gifted as tribute to the Demons, Lord Sesshoumaru of the West will now command the collar."

As she said that she barged into his mind one last time and whispered directly into his mind, "Do not think this is freedom. You saw the look of disgust on the Demon's face when he saw you? I wonder what the demons are truly after? Your half breed dirty blood is so much weaker than theirs, maybe you will be their body toy – or maybe they wish to free the world of an abomination and insult to their blood, what ever your fate, it will be far worse than anything we did to you. Foolish Mongrel, you are now property of a true Demon."

The half breed flinched, the collar sent fire throughout his body as the transfer took place. His head was pounding, but he heard the Demon acting as the voice of his new controller say one word "come!" and ignoring the writing pain and confusion in his mind, his body stood, and jerkily followed the Demon into the glowing portal on the floor. The two vanished in a flash of light.

'Why did you let him go!" Kagome snapped in irritation – "He was mine."

"Fear not child, as long as they do not kill him he will be yours again. We are close are we not? Now that we will no longer be distracted by meaningless plots and assassinations, we can focus on mastering the Shikon No Tama, and then it will all belong to us." She reached out and fondly stroked Kagome's hair. Her successor immediately understood, and the smiles on both their faces, was the smile of someone who orders the death of innocents because they KNOW they are just and right.

** In the Court Yard of the Demon Palace, for the first time in his memory, the Half Breed inhaled air that was not from the City of the West. He stumbled and feel to his knees, in the middle of the Glyph... He heard a foot step, and his head snapped to the side, the Demon Lord of the West took a step towards him, powerful demonic energy rolled around him, and the collar began to glow. The collar recognizing the energy around it awakened. The half breed screamed as the dark energy of the collar once again invaded him.

-tbc-

Ok really boring weekend so writing a lot. Teaching too many night classes this week so don't expect this spurt to continue. *sigh – trying to make the most of the muse while I have the time. :)

I hope you like how I portrayed Inu, he is in this chapter – and yet Not in it. Hmm 'like' s probably the wrong word. Well, Inuyasha is away from the stupid City – that does not mean things are going to get better fast... I hope you were paying attention to who will be and wont be at the palace... cause things get worse – a lot worse before they get better.

RedOnxyMoon had a good suggestion, to have all 4 aspects take physical form when things improve, once in a while. Hmm will that make things more interesting I wonder?


	6. The Collar

Thanks for the reviews and the comments – etc. No time to type more, so hope you don't mind if I dive in.

Read, Review and Enjoy

**Chapter 6 : The Collar**

Pain blazed through the half breed, the collar's influence seeping into his mind. The collar around his neck, whispered to him – promised him power, and end to his pain – to his torment – all he had to do was merge with its power and they could destroy all that caused him pain. The whispers were seductive, powerful. Like maggots they dug into his mind, going deeper and deeper into him. His claws dug into the earth as the agony consumed him.

Bankotsu shocked by the sudden change, moved towards the kneeling Hanyou.

"Stop!" a calm voice commanded. "We cannot interfere we must know if the Hanyou can separate himself from the collar or not. If he gives in to it, he will have to be destroyed along with the collar. This is a battle he must fight on his own." Sesshoumaru sank to one knee, beside the cloaked figure, he could see nothing of the Hanyou's features, only the blood on his back.

His voice low he spoke to the tensed writhing figure. "It is the collar and not you that I want destroyed. If you merge with the collar or if you allow it to control your body, I will have no choice but to destroy you as well. Do not force my hand, fight Hanyou." Lord Sesshoumaru's voice was calm without inflection or emotion, he had his duty to carry out. The energy of the collar, was abhorrent to him, he was tempted to destroy it immediately, but if he did so while the Hanyou was struggling with it, the Hanyou would not survive the collar's destruction. The Demon Lord's actions, while aloof and cold, actually gave the Hanyou a slim chance. Lord Sesshoumaru did not really believe the Hanyou could defeat the collar, but to him, every being that was willing to fight, should at least be given that chance.

The half breed had no idea what a 'Hanyou' meant, but he had no doubt the words were aimed at him. At the temple, when the priests had worked their magicks on him, his will had been locked, by the will of his owners though the collar. He was not allowed to fight against the priests in any way. All he could do was retreat and run. But now his owner was giving him permission to fight, his will was unhampered and it was all the edge he needed.

In his mind, free to act, his claws ripped at the maggots. He blocked his ears to the whispers and dragged the squirming dark energies out of the deeper reaches of his mind. Below the layer of the collar, his human and demon aspects – burst out of their sanctuary, claws and bare fists surrounded in bright energy, attacking the darkness of the collar, forcing it to stay at its designated level. The Half Breed aspect fought alone above, with the other two fought below. Still it was the first time all three aspects fought together, and there was a hidden joy and freedom in the battle, as they pushed the collar's influence back to its normal levels. For them the battle was long, and when it was over, the two aspects, retreated back into their sanctuary with heavy hearts – the half breed aspect had to face the world, and could not join them in their victory. They were one, but to survive they were separate.

The Demon aspect was especially joyous and hopeful, finally they were among honourable demons – finally they would be saved. The other two aspects knew of their demon aspects naive joy – and kept silent.

In the external world, only about 10 seconds passed. The collars energy had flared and gone erratic, it seemed to engulf the Hanyou and than just as quickly it was forced back. The energy of the collar was still awake and active but shocking to those who had witnessed it the energy was now confined to the area of the collar alone. The Hanyou was strong.

The half breed was in pain, his energy locked with the collar's keeping it in check. Every part of him that touched the collar, physical, emotional and spiritual, they all burned. Each movement ripped at him, but still he ignored it. Agonizingly he straightened, turned and knelt, and as he had been trained bowed his head low at his new owner, he was grateful that he had been allowed to fight the collar. Since Demons to his knowledge could not cleanse the collar, like Lady Kaede had, he was content to bear the pain, and do what ever he was ordered to do by his new owner.

He felt the touch of many Demons in his mind, stripping him. The half breed had no way to hide, it did not matter – at that level there was nothing to hide. Deep down his aspects cried out and huddled away from the invasions. Inu and Yasha both had been pushed into pup's sanctuary by the Half Breed, who had been expecting the mental rape. Still for them even under the barriers, it was harder to bear; it was very different from the humans touch and so many at once... the barriers shuddered, and amazingly held. The three aspects were safe, they were ironically grateful that they collar's overactive energy layer assisted in masking them.

The demons mainly probed because they were curious as to how the Hanyou had beaten the lust demon. They were stunned when they found no real memory of the encounter in the Hanyou's mind, there was simply him going to meet the demon – then the demon dying with his hand in the Demon's heart. There was no conscious memory of what had occurred between the two events. The Hanyou had no barriers, that in itself had some Demons, deliberately backing away, others were too surprised to move, and other weaker demons enjoyed the freedom and set about probing deeper.

"That is ENOUGH!" Bakusen'O more than a little horrified, slammed his energy through the Hanyou's mind forcing all the Demons out. His old heart quailed at the his act, even as he dispelled the other, his energy moving so freely though the Hanyou was an invasion that could not be avoided. The Hanyou did not show any reaction to the invasion, but the old tree had touched deep enough to know that on some level, his good intentioned act had hurt more than all the other surface touches, put together. "What in the name of the Nine Hells is this?" The ancient tree used words he had not used in his long life – too shaken and distressed - to do other wise.

"It is the collar," Sesshoumaru said calmly, "Once the collar is destroyed and assuming the Hanyou survives its destruction, his natural barriers will reinstate themselves." At least Sesshoumaru hoped they would, he had probed into the Hanyou's mind as well, and except for the pain and flashes of torture, the deadness in the young one's mind worried him. He was hesitating because he had to wonder if the collar was all that was keeping the young one alive, sane even. If they removed the collar – would there be anything left?

"Do it then Lord Sesshoumaru, destroy that.. that.. thing!" Bakusen'O met the eyes of the Demon Lord and they both reflected a similar concern. "Death would be preferable." The ancient tree said firmly.

"Is death your preference Hanyou?" Sesshoumaru asked the kneeling form. "You will answer me!" he said flatly, when silence met the question.

It hurt to speak, to move, but the half breed forced his mouth to form the words, "There is no preference My Lord, do what best pleases my Lord." The voice was strained but soft, echoing the emptiness that they had seen within.

Somehow the way the Hanyou spoke, sparked a rage in the Demon Lord, he growled low as he bent and reached for the collar.

Clawed fingers grasped both sides of the collar, the half breed found himself dragged to his feet. His head was jerk back by the force, and he had a glimpse of the glowing red sharp eyes of his owner, teeth bared his owner growled, "Try not to die." And the Half Breeds world was once again consumed by pain.

But this was different. He was not the target of the energies, he was the battle field the war was being fought on. The Demon Lord's energies clashed with the collars', in his mind in his body, his other aspects retreated deeper, they were safe, the Half breed aspect was being torn apart by the collateral energies released by the battle. He defended himself as much as he could, and not once did he cry out for the battle to stop.

He understood, clearly, Lady Kikyo had been right.

They had not wanted him, they had not saved him. All that maneuvering had been to get the collar – so they could destroy it. He was unimportant, a pawn in a complex game. He would not interfere in what had to be done. The collar had to be destroyed, he approved wholeheartedly. Pawns were to be used and sacrificed, and he had served his purpose.

Still deep inside himself, his Demonic aspect cried in pain. The human aspect cradled the demon gently and felt his own heart break, as the usually brass and positive demon, was forced to face a reality they had tried to hide from him. Pup hidden deeper still, whimpered uncomfortably – uncertain of the turbulence above.

The energies tore at him.

Sesshoumaru glowed with power, he battled the energies of the collar, with a roar, he broke through the collar's last defenses, his muscles stretched, and the collar was ripped in two.

Dark energy blasted out in all directions, Sesshoumaru, both parts on the collar held firm in either hand was thrown back, to be caught by his Generals. Smoke filled the air, but they could all feel it, the absence of the dark energies of the collar, it had been defeated. A helper carefully held out two bags, and Sesshoumaru with equal care placed one half of the collar in each bag. Bakusen'O and another advisor sealed the bags with strong magic.

Only then did their attention turn to the broken figure on the floor.

Sesshoumaru waved everyone back, he glided up to the figure and carefully lifted the unconscious form.

"From what he has been through, I would like to honour him by having his last rites carried out on my property." Bankotsu said softly as he knelt beside Sesshoumaru.

"That is kind of you - but that action would be premature, he still lives." Sesshoumaru said not bothering to hide his surprise.

Very gently, Sesshoumaru removed the top of the cloak that hid the Hanyou's face from them. The gasps of shock came from all corners of the courtyard. The sliver white crop of hair and the two silky puppy ears on the top of his head, clearly proclaimed the Hanyou's heritage.

Bankotsu was the first to break the silence, his voice cracked and strained, "He eyes are pure gold as well."

"What kind of trick is this!" Manten's shrill voice rang out, "This is a human trick it has to be – there is no way that creature is a Shiro Inu Hanyou."

"Silence Manten!" Bakusen'O snapped, "It explains why the Hanyou is so strong, this is no trick!" Protests and arguments broke out among the generals and members of the court present, the implications of the half breed having the blood of the highest cast of Demons in the world would run deep.

"Without the collar, I can scent him clearly." Sesshoumaru said his voice cutting through the chatter. "There is no doubt he is a Shiro Inu Hanyou." Everyone watched with mixed emotions as the Demon Lord's claws, very gently stroked the fur of one of the pointed ears. The downy fur was infinitely silky, almost addictive to the touch. His mind reached for the Hanyou's and found it to be intact, burned, unconscious – but intact. Also much to Sesshoumaru's relief, the natural defenses of the Hanyou seemed to be asserting itself. It would take time to form, but the Hanyou would most probably recover, his thoughts intact and protected. He would be vulnerable until then.

"None of you are to speak of what you have seen!" He ordered flatly, as he stood with the unconscious body limp in his arms. Without another word he himself, carried the unconscious Hanyou into the palace. He could not put the boy in the sick bay, his mind was too vulnerable. The boy needed to be isolated for a time, also it was best the young one be kept away from prying eyes until the questions of his origins were answered.

The Demon Lord, took the unconscious body, to an almost deserted turret tower. There was a small room with high windows in the back of the tower. The Demon Lord thought it was suitable as above the tower there was a water tank, and a small pipe feeding into the room, which would give the healers access to clean water.

He placed the boy gently on the bed, and summoned a healer with low levels of mental ability. The Demon Lord cursed the timing as their resident Healing Hanyou was not in around. Still the boy was damaged but not in critical condition, and it was probably best for his body to rest and heal on its own.

The healer that came up, was a rather timid Badger Demon, that with her low levels of power was more of a nurse than a healer. She was given orders to not talk about her patient, and serve him until he awakened. The nurse nodded eager to serve.

The Hanyou's needs taken care of for now, Sesshoumaru went to the council chambers where the council was gathered to hear Bankutso's report. The update of what had occurred left them all grim. Privately Bankotsu reported to Sesshoumaru of the likelihood of the Shikon No Tama being in the City of the West. Highly coded messages were sent to the Demon King, and the next day, Lord Sesshoumaru, General Bankotsu and Bakusen'O were summoned immediately to the court of the Demon King, for extended planning and discussions.

Commander Kagura, a trusted wind demon, was left in charge of the General administration of the Palace, Sir Jaken as always was in charge of the Children, Bankotsu's partner, General Jakotsu was in charge of defenses, and Hachiemon a raccoon demon was in charge of miscellaneous matters, including caring for the Hanyou. Sesshoumaru made it clear that other than the nurse, no one was to touch or approach the Hanyou.

Things went fine for the first three days, the Hanyou had yet to emerge from unconsciousness. On the night of the third day word reached the palace of a collapsed mine in the South of the state, up to 200 workers were trapped. This was seen as a state emergency, senior staff had to go to represent Sesshoumaru, as Hachiemon had family in the area, he was the logical representative. He delegated his duties to the other courtiers, and since he could only give the care of the Hanyou to those who were present during the breaking of the collar, he was in a bind. The demon he chose had to have limited mental abilities. He was rather relieved when one of the courtiers who happened to fit the bill volunteered for the task, so he did not have to tell them that he was searching for someone with weak demon energy. He gave Sesshoumaru's instructions to the volunteer and left.

On the fifth night, the nurse as usual went to serve the unconscious Hanyou. Only he was slowly surfacing to consciousness, and he had begun to dream. His body jerked and twisted rather violently, in his sleep.

The badger was so surprised she jerked back in shock, stepped on her own tail, and fell backwards. She rolled violently down the stairs, it was a few hours later when she was found by a patrolling guard passed out with a concussion at the base of the stair case. She was quickly taken to the medical bay for treatment.

The Council demon whom the badger had been reporting to was told of the situation, and he assured everyone not to worry, and that the situation that required the nurses services had changed. He urged them to see to her care and not concern themselves with matters they were not assigned to. The healers shrugged and left.

A satisfied smile crossed the councilor's face. He had been right, the Hanyou was dangerous, violent and obviously a fake. He would not disobey any order from Lord Sesshoumaru, but he had to make sure the Hanyou would not attack other members of the court. If the Hanyou was as strong as they said – this would not hurt him, but if he was the weakling that the councilman suspected be was – then he would expose the Hanyou and emerge the hero. Manten smiled as he admired his fine looks, and long curling locks in the mirror, Yes! This was his time to show how truly valuable an asset he was to the Demon Lord.

On the 7th night Inuyasha's eyes finally opened, and while he no longer wore the collar, not much else of his world seemed to have changed. In some ways it was a lot worse.

-tbc-

what do you think? Saw it coming? Do I actually need to say that things are going to be NOT good in the next chapter? Review please! At least tell me how much you hate me... I feel kindda down myself at the moment! *sigh

On the other hand NaNo word count 20k! Yes!


	7. We are ONE

Glad you like the last chapter. Sesshy here is turning out rather nice, ne? Not the jerk from my other stories.

Thanks for supporting me in my NaNo challenge.

Oops I think my Time-line was unclear – so to clarify,

Day 0 : Collar Breaks - meetings etc

Day1 – Sesshy and leaders go to Demon King – time estimated away 3 weeks

Day 3 - Mine collasped :

Day 4 - Manten is in charge, no big change

Day 5 - Late Evening/night : Nurse has accident at straits – tails are so dangerous to the clumsy. About 4 Hours later; soldier finds maid

Day 6 : Early morning, Manten is informed of accident and tells healers not to worry

Day 7 : Inuyasha wakes up .

Read Review and Enjoy

**Chapter 7 : We are ONE**

The half breed's rise to consciousness was slow. He had floated in nothingness for a long period, cold and silent. Then small sounds had intruded, the steady beating of his own heart, the rush of blood through his veins. It slowly dawned to him that he was still alive, and if he was alive – floating in nothingness was unacceptable. Having reached that decision his body began to float upwards, at first there was only peace, but as he rose higher the dreams began.

Not images, but sensations, feelings, ran though his dreaming minds; heat, fire, fear, loss, aching – aching loss. He struggled against it – he did not want to have to go back there again, and his being rose to higher levels of consciousness. There was a vague notion of gentle hands, delicious soup in his mouth, comfort and warmth, the sensations were there for a while.

Then he woke and realized that they too had been part of a dream.

As he rose to consciousness, the first thing he realized was that his mind was his own. It was not open, vulnerable and exposed. It was closed, only he had access to his thoughts. For the first time in more than a decade his thoughts were his own, he knew it, but could not really believe it. Tentatively he tested the barriers, and he knew that they were weak easily breeched, he still had to be careful.

The second thing he realized was that things had not really changed all that much. The first sound he heard that was not the sound of his own heart beating, was the dull clang of the chains. He was half sitting, half reclining against the wall of cold damp stone. It was a position that he was familiar with from his five nights of incarceration. Golden eyes opened slowly to stare blankly at the reinforced steel manacles that encircled his wrists, and held his hands just above his head. The manacles were heavier, bulkier than the manacles of the humans. He tested their strength and was not surprised to find that they were much stronger as well. These manacles -he probably would not be able to break.

Very slowly, trying to keep his balance, he stood, leaning heavily against the wall, his body was still weak from the ordeal. The room was small, but larger than his cell. That did not make much of a difference as the manacles bound him to the stone wall, he had space to move of about five feet from where he was chained. To the side just in reach of his hands if he stretched was small pipe. He pulled the pump beside the pipe, and a trickle of water came out. Catching it in cupped hands he drank deeply, curing the burning sensation in his parched throat.

The immediate need taken care of his eyes swept the room. There was nothing in it, except the tap, himself and the four walls. He lifted his eyes, and sighed with unconscious relief, there was a high window, he could just see the stars twinkling in the distance, the air was not stale but moved with the tiny breeze the window allowed.

The half breed, no – wait – with the barriers up – even as weak as they were he could maybe risk, thinking of himself as a being and not a thing.

Inuyasha sighed with relief, they were not taking the sun and stars away from him. If they intended to lock him up – away from the world – this was more than he would have expected. His ears twitched slightly as he heard footsteps, he sank to his knees, his face expressionless and waited.

A medium sized window in the solid reinforced door opened. Through the barred window, Inuyasha saw a pretty looking Demon, with long curly hair and a sneering look on his face. This was not his owner, he had not received orders that he could not look up as yet, and so while he had the chance he kept his head up. He was careful not to make eye contact or show any expression that could be deemed defiant, he waited patiently for his instructions.

"Well, well, well, the savage of a Hanyou is awake. You think you are so clever – fooling everyone with your tricks, but it is my duty and pleasure to expose you." The Demon's voice was snarky and as grating as Kagome's – but the voice did not carry the power and confidence that the Priestess of Light's voice carried. Inuyasha had no idea what the Demon was talking about – and there was that word again – most likely 'Hanyou' was the Demon term for mongrel.

"Don't try that blank expression with me, you disgusting beast. You are dangerous, aren't you? Did you enjoy yourself when you harmed that innocent little nurse? How long have you been faking sleep? You awoke fast enough as soon as you were thirsty didn't you? Didn't you? You may have fooled them – but don't be egoistical – they were only fooled because they were focused on the collar, but soon when they see you they will see past your tricks and know how disgusting and deceitful you are, Monster. We wanted the collar, you are only here because you were attached to it. Worthless!" Manten snarled at the Hanyou, he had to an extent convinced himself of every word.

Inuyasha did not react, not outwardly. But inside the outer sanctuary each word said by the Demon – hit his own Yasha aspect hard. When had they harmed a nurse? Had they gone mad? Was the demon lying? Why was the Demon acting like the humans... things were supposed to be different! WHY?

The silent, unchallenging look of the Hanyou, seemed to drive Manten into a further rage. "You are NOT strong – you are WEAK! As weak as they come, pathetic! You have no right to even be here in the Palace of the Lord of the West! A creature like you has no right to live and pollute the air." Manten laughed manically.

"But that is okay, when Lord Sesshoumaru returns in two weeks, he will see you for what you are, weak, dirty an pathetic. I wonder what he will do with an abomination like you then? Now that the collar is destroyed you have no value to us? So how can you have value? What will he do? Keep you as a slave? Maybe he will give you to me for a few days to show you your place... would you like that Hanyou, imagine the honor – a Demon of my power lowering himself to use a Hanyou. After the weak humans, can you even imagine the honor of having a demon ride you?"

Inuyasha remained passive, but the words found their mark deep inside him.

"Or maybe he will find you unworthy of even that honor. Yes I think he will probably kill you, make you an example of why abominations like you should not be even allowed to be born. Weak, pathetic Hanyou! Do you know what Lord Sesshoumaru has ordered? Until he returns no one is to touch you or even approach you. He is probably worried that your stink will contaminate us pure breeds. Since we cannot approach you – we can hardly feed you can we? But have no fear, Lord Sesshoumaru is generous, there is a pipe in your cell with water for you to drink. I warn you, do not overindulge in our Lord's generosity of the Water may dry up. Demons can go a month without food, a pathetic Hanyou like you should survive two weeks – or are you too weak to do even that?"

Inuyasha did not react, he sat silent, serene almost. His demeanor had no challenge – but it had no fear, no hate, no malice, in it either, and that more than anything fueled Manten's anger. Manten was tempted to walk into the cell and smash the Hanyou's face into the ground, but he did not dare. He had already dared much by entering the room, remodelling it into a cell and with covered hands chaining the unconscious Hanyou. To his mind, he had not technically broken any of Sesshoumaru's edicts, he would prove the Hanyou to be weak.

Manten had seen Sesshoumaru's long, strong and beautiful fingers touch the disgusting excuse for ears on the Hanyou's filthy head, he had seen how the Demon Lord had so carefully carried the Hanyou, and worse he had heard the surprised respect in the Demon Lord's voice for the abomination surviving what he had. There was only one logical conclusion, the Demon Lord was being tricked, the Hanyou maybe through the collar, maybe through the human magic, must have cast a spell on the Demon Lord. Manten would weaken the Hanyou's power, weaken the spell he had cast on the Lord, and free them from his influence. Then the Demon Lord would see, they would all see, that it was Manten who deserved the respect, Manten who was strong, and Manten who should be respected.

Manten spat into the room, "I will expose you for the abomination you are," he snarled, turned and walked away , slamming the window shut.

Inuyasha smiled sadly he listened with to the fading footsteps, his eyes suddenly widened, something was wrong – inside his sanctuary – something was wrong. He sat back against the wall, and without fear of being observed sank into himself.

What he came across hurt his heart more than anything else could.

Yasha was in a rage, the Demon aspect had gone mad, raging. It had already flung the human aspect hard against the walls once, and was tearing the room apart, as Yasha went on rampage. "This is WRONG! The Demons are supposed to like me! It is supposed to be better! BETTER! They are supposed the be better than the filthy humans! They are supposed to LIKE me" Confused, hurt and in pain, the Demon went mad with anger, tearing apart everything.

Yasha suddenly turned pain maddened eyes at Inu, the bruised and battered human aspect stood silently, a look of pain and acceptance in his eyes. "Your FAULT! This is your fault! It is because of YOU this has happened it is YOUR FAULT!"

The Demon rushed across the space between the two claws bared and aiming to rip apart the sad smile on the human aspects face. Yasha tackled Inu to the ground, sitting on his chest. Inu did not flinch. Yasha caught Inu's tunic and raised his claws to strike, but his raised hand was caught in an unyielding grip and the Demon was suddenly pulled off the human.

Inuyasha placed himself between his two aspects. "Yasha," he said softly "We are one."

"No!" The demon growled, "We are not one, it is his fault. They will accept me if not for him!"

The half breed shook his head, "No, its is not his fault, it is mine! If we are not one – it is my fault and mine alone. You are whole, Inu is whole. Before me, before I came into being - the humans accepted Inu, and after I am gone, I think the Demons will accept you. I am the one who has no place, I am the one who should never have been born, I am the mongrel, I am the abomination. You, my Yasha are my amazing, brass demon, and Inu is my smart, loving human, I am empty. Humans or demons – to both I am nothing, if we are not one, I am nothing."

Inuyasha inhaled sadly, after all that he had been through – the solution was so simple – get rid of the Half breed and maybe his Demon could be happy. He sank to one knee, "I am sorry, I am so sorry, for what you have both been put through because of me. If not for me you could both have been happy. Maybe I can make it right. I give you this body Yasha, of all of us – you can survive. Kill me and take it. Join the demons and for all our sakes - find your happiness." Inuyasha smiled and bared his throat.

His face, his actions gave none of his feelings away, but both Inu and Yusha knew it, felt it, the waves of pain that the half breed lived with.

Yasha's face crumbled, his eyes filled with tears, and with a strangled cry, he fell to his knees and hugged his dominant aspect hard. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I did not mean it, I was hurt, I did not mean it – I'm sorry, please Inuyasha, don't say things like that, don't leave me, please! DON'T LEAVE ME!" The demon aspect cried into the half breed's neck. Inuyasha hugged his demon tight, and Inu came and knelt beside completing the triad.

"Yasha, its for the best," Inu said softly – "Take this body, and live well. The Demons will accept you, it is the best option."

"NO! We are one! I did not mean it! I will not let you leave me! I won't let you. I sorry, please! Im sorry!" Yasha said his voice young and desperate.

Inuyasha cradled the demon aspect to him. They had tried so hard to keep him away from the being rejected, his bright arrogance had been a great comfort. His confidence in the Demons helped them through their worst times with the humans. To have this confidence so shattered, damaged them all. No matter what, it was Inuyasha's fault and this time this was perhaps the best option.

He raised his head and cupped the Demon's face, forcing their eyes to meet. Tears filled the Demon's eyes, and both Inuyasha and Inu shuddered in pain, they had long lost their ability to cry, and Yasha protected by them – except in sympathy - had never had a reason to cry – until now.

"Listen, Yasha! You know, we know what this means. This way at least you will survive." Inuyasha said softly, lovingly. "You will be a demon of honor."

Yasha shook his head firmly, "No – without you, without Inu – there is no honor! Only nothing."

The human aspect touched the Demon's jaw, "Yasha, its for the best – its not Inuyasha's fault – it mine. We cannot – but you.."

"Cannot survive – without you – without you both." Yasha said, his voice firm and steady, he uncurled his tail from around his legs, and wrapped it around the three of them. "The is no fault, there is no other, there is no option, we are one."

"And I am me." The three voices merged as one – accepting, harmonizing, unifying.

In a rare occurrence – unbidden by the dominant aspect – the inner sanctuary suddenly opened and an annoyed Pup jumped out. "You fighting – Pup not like you fighting!" He scolded firmly, then he noticed the hug. "Hey you not fighting anymore! Yes! Hey.. Wait-a-minute – you hugging – and you are not hugging Pup? That is not NICE!" Pup swatted at Inu and Yasha with his long sleeves.

Surprised the adult aspects chuckled, as Yasha and Inu made space between them for pup to join the hug. Inuyahsa was careful not to touch Pup – the barriers were too weak to risk that. Inuyasha spent the maximum about of time he could spend – without hurting his physical body - deep inside himself. Pup was ecstatic and went into a hyperactive state. Than in the way of children fell asleep, between one word and the next.

Inuyasha reached down and let one claw just touch Pup's shirt, memories flooded him, he jerked his claw back and they faded.

"Will you touch him? We have barriers in our mind now." Inu said softly.

Inuyasha shook his head, "The barriers are weak, not yet – I will not risk him – but before its over I will touch him. Yasha are you sure.."

"There is no 'You' between us, Inuyasha, we are one, and finally all four of us will be one – there will be no leaving me alone." Yasha said firmly.

Inuyasha smiled, "We will be proving the Demon right, we are what was it he said a weak 'Hanyaw'?"

"No – we will just be showing them that I am a weak human!" Inu said softly, "No mater how we look at it- the fault is mine."

"There is no fault!" Inuyasha and Yasha said immediately – harmonizing as the two turned and held the human.

"But.."

"Hush!" Inuyasha said firmly a clawed finger stopping the human's protests. "We survive because we are one, as Yasha has decided, we are one – there is no fault. We will be one and we will go together!"

The savored the moment of unity, and then Inuyasha left the sanctuary and moved back to the real world.

The Demon Lord would return after two weeks.

Inuyasha checked himself. His body was hurt – consuming great amount of energy to heal – still he was used to harsh conditions. Even as damaged as he was now, as a half breed he could survive for a month on water alone easily enough.

The demon Lord would return after two weeks.

His human night was nine days from now, the state his body was in – when he transformed.. as a human he could not last the night. And they all knew, understood and accepted it.

The demon Lord would be back after fourteen days, he would be dead in nine.

Starvation did not make for an easy death, Inuyasha would absorb as much of Inu's pain as he could, than he would finally hold Pup, and they would be truly one as they made their finally journey together.

-tbc-

On the angst meter this is not as bad as I planned in my head... I think. What do you think? Did I hit a good note, or need to turn it up a notch? Fingers dying from typing – please review! Thanks


	8. The Hanyou and Death

Oops. All that typing got my angst meter stuck on medium, I guess the last chappie it was rather angsty... this one is well different. (I think – tapping busted angst meter)

River girl I am filling that gap – always planned to - :)

Just to reassure you, NO character death – the title refers to something else...

Read, Review and Enjoy

Chapter 8 : **The Hanyou and Death**

Inuyasha sat tracking the movement of the sun in the small windows overhead. Without food to provide him the energy he needed...his body and the barriers in his mind was healing – but too slowly, much too slowly. Being slammed around in the battle to destroy the collar had broken bones in his jaw, his ribs, his collar and his fingers. His backbone had been bruised, and some internal organs damaged. Funnily enough there was some indication that the worst damage had actually been treated, so maybe there had been a nurse – and Inuyasha had hurt her. He could not remember – as much as he tried he could not remember. Inuyasha's thoughts chased in his head as he sat in the quiet cell.

After a week, if he was the kind of person to acknowledge that he was bored, he would have been shouting his boredom to the world. But then, boredom did not hurt, it did not damage and it sure as hell did not kill (though it may have felt like it) and Inuyasha was content with that. He had a few more days left to live. He was constantly hungry and the areas that were healing hurt bad, but all in all, as his last days on the earth Inuyasha had to admit they were pretty good.

No one was whipping him, kicking him, or otherwise causing him new forms of pain. He got to see the sun for a few hours of the day, the stars at night and feel the breeze that came though the little window. The water that he drank sparing tasted of wind and rain, and he got rare visits from bugs, a few that he managed to catch and give himself a tiny boost of energy. He got to visit his sanctuary twice a day, and spend time there healing, comforting Yasha and feeling at real peace. The new found privacy of his thoughts he was truly grateful for, and though his new owner would be the cause of his death, Inuyasha could feel nothing but acceptance of the inevitable.

He supposed his calmness made him weak, but he had learned a long time ago – that a lone trapped half breed - had two choices, become the monster and beast that his captors wanted him to be – or be something else. If he could fight, when he could fight – he fought with everything in him – he fought to win. But when battle was impossible, when all his choices were stripped from him – raging at his fate seemed to only bring his tormentors joy. So he chose the other path – to go within himself – accept and survive, make his surface a pool of peace, and hide deep in his depth, the emotions, dreams and life that would otherwise have been stolen from him. He did not wish for death, he would not ask for death, but neither would he beg or ask to be saved.

The one blight that spoiled his peace, was in the form of the pretty demon that made in a point to visit and rant and rave at Inuyasha. At first he had been concerned that the Demon would touch him, but after a few days they realized that the Demon truly did not intend to come into the cell. Inuyasha could have shrugged off the Demons insults and taunts, but because it was coming from a Demon and because of the absence of the collar's energy acting as an added barrier – Yasha could not be totally shielded from the visits.

The Demon visited daily, and showed them delicious foods that he taunted them with, and made a show as he ate in front of the starving Hanyou. He offered to throw them scraps if they begged for it, and when the half breed did not respond in any way, he threw poisonous barbs against them. Their calmness, in face of Manten increasing aggression and ridicule, enraged the demon. The fact that they never said anything to him, let alone ask or begged him for food, fanned the embers of the Demon's hate even further. In the hollows of his mind Manten knew he would have been begging a long time ago! To him that the lowly Hanyou did not beg or get angry – was an indication of the unnaturalness of the Hanyou. Was further proof that the abomination was tricking them. The Hanyou's lack of reaction to his taunts drove Manten mad.

What Manten did not realize was that his dishonourable actions and his words, were more effective than even he could have hoped. For the first time in their lives, Yasha was shamed, his belief in his Demonic heritage almost utterly shattered. The dreams and hopes of the Demon aspect was mercilessly eroded by Manten's poison and all the other aspects could do was try to comfort their disillusioned and disheartened demon.

Inu and Inuyasha, were actually beginning to be glad that they would never have to face the Demon Lord. They both knew, that if the Demon Lord or even the General who had taken him out of the Temple, heaped similar scorn on them- it would be the final straw - Yasha would break. Everything bright and shiny about their Demon, all his hopes – would be stripped away – the same way it had been so cruelly stripped from them. And while they could bend and survive, their Demon could not. Their Yasha would break, and death was infinitely preferable to that.

Except for those visits, the pain, and the gnawing hunger; the time of solitude and isolation was good – and they, with a strange serenity awaited the coming of the moonless night.

Jinenji, was satisfied. Tremendously satisfied. His trip to the South Eastern city had been a great success. He had opened a new trade route with the city, that would be profitable to both the Demons and the humans, and he had taught them how to grow the medicinal plants in a more natural setting to ensure the soil maintained its productivity.

Commander Kagura, had been most pleased with the deals he had made, and the plants he brought back had the healers almost jumping in excitement. He got a brief update that the collar had been destroyed – but was informed that they could give him no more details. He had not been present at the time of the collar's destruction and Lord Sesshoumaru had forbidden them from discussing the event or doing anything about it until he returned.

The gentle giant scratched his head, and shrugged, if his Lord Sesshoumaru had given a gag order on the event, he would be the last being to go against the will of the Lord.

Once the excitement of his arrival and delivery of the medicines died down, Jinenji felt distinctly uncomfortable. He was a healer to the core, and as he tried to sleep that night for a strange reason he began to feel an unnatural sense of disquiet and restlessness. He tried to shrug it off as his imagination, and forced himself to sleep. His sleep was far from peaceful, shadows and wraiths plagued his dreams.

In the morning he did a long and extensive search of the Demon Town attached to their Palace. Thinking that perhaps a plague or a sickness was about to break out he visited every healer, and walked down almost every street in their city. Of course he found many that needed his help – but not once did he find anything that could account for his internal turmoil and haunting dreams. He returned late into the night, and exhausted collapsed on to his bed. He hoped his tiredness would give him a dreamless night, his hopes were for naught. In spite of his exhaustion, the dreams got worse.

The next day, he was listless, and more than a little irritable (meaning that he had only 20 minutes to spare to listen to someone complain about unnecessary things instead of his usual hour.) He wondered if he himself was getting sick. So to clear his head, he went to the woods for a long walk. As usual, as he walked, sick and wounded animals of the forest came to him for assistance. Jinenji was happy to help, and for a time was distracted from his nagging worries.

The day soon turned to dusk, and darkness quietly swept across the land. Jinenji liked the quiet dark. His eyes accommodating the dark night, he made his way back to the palace. The closer he got to the palace however the deeper his sense of disquiet became. There was something – something in the air, it was like a sound just beyond his hearing, at shadow at the edge of his sight.

A sudden sense of urgency caught the horse Hanyou off guard, and had him trotting faster towards the palace. He had made a terrible mistake– he was so used to the palace being a safe haven, he had failed to consider that the cause of his discontent was from within the Palace itself, and not from the surrounding areas.

He swept through the courts, the gardens and the halls, nothing was wrong, no one knew of a single thing wrong in the Palace – and yet Jinenji had a sense of impending doom... no it was not a sense of generalized doom it was something else... Jinenji came to a sudden halt in the middle of the walkway. He did not even notice the demons knocking into him as a result of his sudden stop. No - It was not a sense of doom, that he had been sensing.. rather it was death.

Death was at – no – in the Palace, and there was something wrong – unnatural about it!

Jinenji had sensed Death many times – birth and death – were both natural parts of life that a healer dealt with.

When his mother had died, death had come softly – gently and had been accepted as the next step of his mother's journey. It had been a peaceful passage. Sometimes death came for a fight, and he and death would struggle for the life of the sick or injured. More times than not – Jinenji won those battles, and Death respecting the fight was satisfied to retire and wait patiently for another day. Sometimes Death came in pity, the cool presence an act of mercy. And of course Death came to complete its duty, to honorably collect fallen warriors, and with the same sense of honour collect the villains. Death was inevitable, impartial, and Death came and Death left without regret. Collecting both the saints and the sinners when they died. Equally Death did not begrudge those that survived close encounters with Death, Death was happy to wait, and happy to bless the survivors - with the extended life, they had fought for and earned.

Jinenji knew Death, and this time he had not recognized Death immediately because Death felt unnatural – uncertain, almost as if Death – did not want to be there. The feeling sent shivers of fear up the Horse Hanyou's long spine.

Though he sensed Death – there were no clues to the direction Death reluctantly stalked the halls that night. Jinenji had to figure this out. No sure what else to do, he ran back into the healers quarters – surely they would be some clues there. The healers he spoke to genuinely had no clue to what he was talking about, they klnew of none who were close to death. He was about to start running through the palace in a blind search, when he finally noticed the small form of a badger nurse looking apprehensively at him. The nurse had bandages around her head, and her eyes were wide with stress. She was not the one death circled that night, but there was something about her...

The other healers moved away and Jinenji carefully approached the Badger.

"Little sister, what is it that concerns you so greatly? You need to recover, worry will not help you." He said gently.

To Jinenji's dismay, the nurse demon teared up, her lips began to tremble. "Don't be kind to me.." she whispered, "I failed Lord Sesshoumaru, I don't deserve your kindness."

"ummm.. a sweet little sister like you always deserves kindness, tell me how did you fail our Lord – maybe you are mistaken, and I can help." Jinenji said in an equally low voice.

She began to sob, "I..I..I.. can't.. I cannot tell you. Lord Sesshoumaru said it was a secret, and Lord Manten said.. that because I .. had failed.. it is not... not .. my concern. He has forbidden me from.." she could not continue as she cried in earnest.

Discombobulated, by her tears, and not wanting to make her say more than she could, Jinenji wanted to call someone to look after her. Hewas about to leave, when the sense of Death grew stronger. It was an anomalous feeling, for the first time in his 800 years as a healer, he felt as if Death was on his side, urging him on.

He hesitated for a second, than he gathered his will, and faced the little badger again. "Little sister, I believe you have not failed yet, please tell me."

"No! No! Lord Manten ordered me to tell no one – not even the other healers – he is in charge!" the Badger cried miserably – she wanted to tell – needed to tell, but she had been ordered...

Jinenji took a deep breath, he was not used to doing this – had never done this in fact, but under the circumstances he had no choice. Steeling himself he said firmly – well firmly for Jinenji anyway - "Little sister, Lord Manten is not in charge of the healers in the Palace, I think I am the one really in charge of all of the Healers. Lord Sesshoumaru has mentioned that right? You heard him?" The hanyou was really, really glad when the little nurse nodded, he was not sure what he would have done if she was unaware of his conferred status.

"Good, ummm.. since I am in charge her, I am - well, ummm... I am errr.. o..o..ordering you, to tell me please! If you don't mind, of course." Jinenji managed to choke out, feeling like an absolute heel for being so harsh with the little nurse.

The nurse's eyes went wide for a second and than the words began pouring out, "Lord Sesshoumaru, asked me to care for the Hanyou, that had the collar. He had been hurt badly, torn apart in many places when the collar had been broken – and Lord Sesshoumaru placed him in a room in the South East turret tower, so that he would not be disturbed. There was also something wrong with his mental barriers – so Lord Sesshoumaru wanted a healer like me who was low in mental power to look after him, and he wanted to make sure that he was kept away from others with mental power to give his mind a chance to heal. The whole time I looked after him, he did not wake up, but he was really sweet. And then, I had an accident and fell down the stairs, I don't really remember what happened, but Lord Manten said that the Hanyou must have attacked me. I told Lord Manten I didn't think so, but Lord Manten did not believe me, and he ordered me to keep silent – as I had failed Lord Sesshoumaru and the matter does not concern me... I know that is true.. but.. but .. no other healer seems to be looking after the Hanyou, and I have been so worried." Tears tracked down the nurses face, she really did not know what to do.

Jinenji, patted the nurses hands, it was all he could do not to run, but he was too much of a healer to leave the nurse so distressed, "It is going to be alright little nurse, I will look into this matter personally." He bowed to her,and gestured for another to see to her needs. He felt the preternatural urgings of Death to hurry.

As soon as he turned a corner, the Horse Hanyou galloped towards the South East turret. His heart in his throat as he wondered what he would find.

The Horse Hanyou's rare urgency and speed did not go unnoticed.

Jinenji raced up the narrow turret stairs, and saw a door heavily reinforced, locked and bolted. The usually gentle horse, braced himself and slammed against the door. It shuddered but did not give. He turned, focused his demonic energy, braced himself with his hands, with both feet he back kicked against the heavy door. The hinges gave as the door crumpled in the middle. Jinenji pushed the door open and beheld a sight he had never expected to see in the Palace of the Demon Lord of the West.

A black haired human, bruised, battered and leaking puss and blood from old unhealed wounds, lay chained slumped against the wall. His ribs and bones jutted out, a testament to the humans' advanced state of starvation. His breathing was weak and shallow, and the shadow of Death hovered over the human.

Jinenji roared a challenge and stumbled forward, he would not let death take the human. Then it seemed to him, the shadow looked up, and nodded, acknowledging Jinenji as a worthy adversary, only this time the challenge was unnecessary. The shadow waved Jinenji, to go to the human, to care for the human. Death had come to do its duty, but it was clear – Death did not want to be forced to collect this soul. Death really did not want to be there.

Nodding, accepting and unquestioning of the unique position Death was taking, Jinenji was already pulling out herbs from his bag as he crouched next to the inert human. Jinenji was not sure how long he crouched next to the still form, doing his best to stabilize the human's condition. He only knew that he finally was successful, when he felt the soft brush of death as it passed by him, and Death with a sense of repose left the South East turret.

Satisfied, Death no longer had a duty there that night.

-tbc-

okay – okay sorry to disappoint everyone – but Sesshy is not riding in on shining amour to save the day – at least not yet – I hope that this is an acceptable alternative. Please, please tell me what you think of the new twists in the story. See, see the title refers to Jinenji as much or more than – Inuyasha, what did you think – and did you need the upfront warning?

Oh and yes it is still a Sesshy Inu story :P


	9. Horse Hanyou's Dilemma

Arrrggghhh tooooo busy – dying – so sorry - am just making the word count. Deciding to post my NaNo is one of the best and worst ideas that I have had – best cause readers and reviewers make me write – and WORST cause readers and reviewers make me write. Sigh!

Okay in spite of drowning in work managed to post after a day's break!

Reade,review and enjoy!

**Chapter 9 : Horse Hanyou's Dilemma**

Once he stabilized the human, Jinenji carefully checked his physical and mental state. The catalog of the human's physical damages was long, but the Horse Hanyou was confident that he could heal that. The human's starved state was the real cause of concern, as was his mental state. Jinenji carefully tested the barriers in the human's mind and found them terribly weak. He could see why Lord Sesshoumaru had ordered that this being be kept away from others, a mental attack against the weak barrier could cause it to shatter and do irreparable damage. Jinenji's probe – as gentle as it was - caused the unconscious human discomfort, and Jinenji withdrew

Jinenji honestly could not comprehend how the human had come to be in such terrible condition. Perhaps there was some kind of attack, perhaps Lord Manten had been accidentally giving the human the wrong types of food while he was a Hanyou, perhaps Lord Manten had assumed another was caring for the Hanyou and they had simply forgot. It never crossed the gentle healers mind that Lord Manten had set about to deliberately stave the Hanyou, Jinenji just could not conceive of such blatant cruelty.

He reached up and tugged at the chains, they were strong. Jinenji realized that as a stronger Hanyou, the chain would have been tight around his wrists. The human, however, was starved, thin and close to emaciated. Jinenji thanked the gods for small mercies as he carefully slipped the human's delicate wrists through the chains. It was a little tight, but he managed with as little damage to the dry skin as possible.

He removed his overcoat and wrapped the human into its warmth. The cell was no place for his sick charge. Jinenji decided that he would take the young one to his own quarters. There, he could tend to the human's needs much better. Needing a hand free to open the heavy doors, and manoeuvre the narrow stairs, Jinenji carefully slung the unconscious form across his left shoulder. His movements careful, not to jar and cause the fragile body more pain, Jinenji made his way down.

aaaa

"There, see? It is as I said, Commander Kagura. The healer, Jinenji, has been influenced by the Hanyou and has disobeyed Lord Sesshoumaru's direct order that no one is to touch or have dealings with the Hanyou who had been controlled by the collar." Manten and at least a dozen other Demons, most of whom had been rudely awakened, turned to stare at the Horse Hanyou carrying the wrapped and unconscious an body as he walked into the main hallway.

The guards had all noticed the Horse Hanyou's search of the Palace's halls. His dash into the South East turret had surprised them as they had orders directly from Lord Sesshoumaru that unless authorized they were all to stay away from the turret. Knowing Jinenji was a healer they had hesitated, but when the healer had not come out of the turret after 15 minutes they began to worry. Concerned that something may have occurred, they finally reported the incident to Lord Manten. The Lord, who had been disturbed out of a sound and peaceful slumber, had first been angry at the guards for their intrusion. When he was informed of the reason for their intrusion, he had paled, and began to curse at the weakness of Hanyous. He quickly changed, and instead of rushing to the tower as the guards had expected, the Lord had rushed to awaken Commander Kagura and some of the other leading Youkai. Lord Manten figured he needed stronger Youkai present as the weak Horse Hanyou must have obviously fallen under the sway of the one he had so righteously contained. Lord Manten made a good case for himself, swearing that the gentle Jinenji had been influenced by external forces, to have gone against Lord Sesshoumaru's direct orders.

When Jinenji walked in carrying the covered body that indeed did seem to be the case.

"Jinenji, Lord Sesshoumaru has commanded that none that was not present during the breaking of the collar was to approach the Hanyou Did you not know this? What have you done?" Commander Kagura demanded, hardly believing her eyes.

Taken by surprise, Jinenji looked around nervously. "Umm.. yes I knew about the order, but you see its.. I had to save this one from.."

"You had to save that creature from Lord Sesshoumaru's orders! Is that what you think you had to do? What Arrogance! That is not the Jinenji we know. He is obviously being influenced! I was right! The Hanyou first hurt his own nurse, and is now tricking Jinenji, into believing that he has to be saved from Lord Sesshoumaru's orders!" Lord Manten ranted, cutting off the gentle giant's words.

"But.. but.. no, its not like that.. I am not being tricked," Jinenji said, his confidence faltering under the unexpected attack. He could feel the stir of Youki in the room. His hand tightened on his almost weightless charge. Their mental energies could not be good for the human.

"Then you disobeyed Lord Sesshoumaru on purpose, is that what you are saying, that you are knowingly betrayed Lord Sesshoumaru's orders!" Lord Manten pressed.

Big gentle eyes filled with tears, "No, Lord Sesshoumaru has ordered me to care for the health of all in the Palace that is what I am doing. I would not go against Lord Sesshoumaru, he could not want this. I am sure Lord Sesshoumaru would not want this. " The healer said his voice wavering and nervous.

"Jinenji, it is not our place to speculate what Lord Sesshoumaru wants, it is our duty to follow orders. " Commander Kagura said softly, "Lord Sesshoumaru did make his orders clear – no one was to go close to the Hanyou. Lord Sesshoumaru himself put the Hanyou in the tower." Kagura sighed, she did not want to do this but the healer had overstepped, "Look, I am uncertain why Lord Sesshoumaru ordered the Hanyou to be confined in solitude, but he must have had a good reason for it. I can understand that as a Hanyou yourself you feel a sense of kinship and pity, but you must not let that cloud your judgment. Return the Hanyou to the room, and confine yourself to the Medical Bay until Lord Sesshoumaru returns. Jinenji, you can make your appeal to Lord Sesshoumaru when he returns. Until the Lord Manten is in charge of the Hanyou."

The horse's dark eyes stared at the pretty demon who was supposed to be looking after the Hanyou, and there seemed to be a very ugly energy around the Demon. Jinenji's mouth moved but he could not find the words, he did not know how to say the correct thing to protect the being in his arms. He was a healer – not a fighter – not a courtier – simply a healer, he did not know what to do.

"You have your orders Jinenji, please follow them." Kagura ordered gently, but firmly.

"Come, Jinenji, this is really not your concern. Return that thing to the room and we can forget this little incident. You will not be punished for treason if you just obey the Commander," Lord Manten said with an ingratiating smile.

Jinenji wavered, he whimpered in confusion. Commander Kagura spoke with Lord Sesshoumaru's 'voice' in his absence – it was not his place to disobey. He had not been here – maybe – maybe – he... he... horse ears twitched, as a soft human voice – the words less than a whisper – so soft that even the Demons around did not hear, breathed out. "_Its enough, thank you... mongrel will.. survive_."

Jinenji inhaled sharply. The human had awakened, he had reacted to the confusion and fear rolling off the horse Hanyou, and the damaged human - who had slipped back into unconsciousness after saying those words - was trying to comfort him. Jinenji looked around the room. When Commander Kagura had spoken with Lord Sesshoumaru's 'voice', there was only one option.

His hand shaking more than he thought possible, he was going to do something he had never, never imagined he would do.

He reached into one of the pouches on his belt. Everyone tensed, ready to attack the Horse if he tried anything. They all relaxed a little when all Jinenji did was take out a palm sized ornate mirror. Their relaxation turned out to be premature. Jinenji stared intently at the mirror. His voice trembling, but loud, he said words that stunned the onlookers to the core.

"L...L..Lord Se..Sessh..Sesshoumaru, I..I... sssssssummon you."

"JINENJI! Have you gone MAD! Even if he is not here – how dare you make a order like that!" Jakotsu said rather aghast. As much as the demon hated to say that stupid sycophant Manten was right, it did seem that the Hanyou had gone mad. No one in their right minds would have dared such a statement. Saying something like that, even out of Lord Sesshoumaru's hearing, was asking for a swift death.

Kagura carefully drew out a net of wind, "Jinenji – I am not sure what has gotten into you, but it is obvious that you are not yourself. Now please follow orders." She raised her hand to throw the net on the Horse Hanyou, but a familiar voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Jinenji, you actually managed to use the mirror!... – What has happened, tell me immediately." Everyone gasped in shock as Sesshoumaru's calm face appeared on the mirror. The Horse Hanyou had summoned Lord Sesshoumaru. He had actually summoned Lord Sesshoumaru... and Lord Sesshoumaru had actually responded! They could not believe it.

Jinenji was in tears, the stress too great for him. "P..please, sorry, I'm sorry... please! The hanyou... please...your... orders... please... he will... die!" Jinenji choked out, unable to say more. It was a small lie. The human would indeed survive, but Jinenji wanted the human to do more than survive. He wanted him to be healthy and be fine, and be well... and good... and... so... His voice choked on the small lie and he began to cry in earnest. He was the worst – lying to his Lord. 

Cool golden eyes narrowed.

"My Lord Sesshoumaru, this is a small matter – Jinenji has been.." Lord Manten began, but was interrupted, as if he had not spoken.

"Commander Kagura!"

"Yes! My Lord!" She snapped to attention.

The Lord eyed the strained and distressed healer. Sesshoumaru had given the Horse Hanyou the mirror two hundred years ago, almost as a joke. He had been certain that the timid horse would never be able to actually say the words that were required to activate it. For Jinenji to have used the mirror after all these years... "No one is to interfere with Jinenji. Matters of import have been settled with the King, I will return home now. Open a teleport in exactly 10 minutes, I will see to this.. 'small matter' myself, no one is to do anything – understood?"

"Yes Lord Sesshoumaru!" Commander Kagura snapped out. She quickly moved to set up a portal mirror for her Lord in a secured location. Due to the order, everyone literally stood at their locations awaiting the arrival of the Demon Lord.

Other than Kagura, only Jinenji moved. Still traumatized by his 'lie', but determined to do the best for his patient, he squatted down and gently placed the human on his lap. Ensuring that the human's features were covered by the cloak, he gently poured herbal mixtures through dry and cracked lips, massaging the fragile neck to ease the flow of the medicines. If Lord Sesshoumaru was coming to scold him for being insolent, Jinenji was determined to get as much medicine into the hanyou-turned-human that he could. He remembered the quiet breath, as the human, in spite of everything, had tried to comfort him, and he knew that he had to be brave as well. He was a healer and he would protect his patient.

The portal opened. Jakotsu squealed in surprised pleasure as his partner and Bakusen'O, both looking fresh and alert, as if they had not been just dragged from comfortable beds, walked through. Bankotsu hugged his partner, and they all turned and bowed in unison as the Lord of the West returned home.

-tbc-

Hope you liked it, tell me if Im missing anything. :) hehehe me thinks someone is gonna get it!


	10. Between wakefulness and sleep

Okay – this was tough writing – almost got a block but its NANO so persevered, but it was grueling writing - EVERYTHING was a distraction. Ahh.. sigh! Well do tell what you think – please. Need help so please review for the sake of tired fingers and eyes. *Hugs all reviewers.

Also its a bit later cause Sparkling Snowfall has helped in editting this chapter – or should I say, nagging irritating and whip cracking! She is totally Miroku in female form, as irritating as she is essential. **lobs snowball. Your're the best Snowfall – Thanks! :)

Also thanks Fluffy GC for the kind reminder. :)

Read, review and Enjoy

**Chapter 10 : Between wakefulness and sleep. **

Golden eyes swept the room, zooming in on the covered figure in Jinenji's lap. Sesshoumaru inhaled, and the scent barrier Jinenji had placed around his patient could not hide the Hanyou's true state from a high level dog demon. His eyes narrowed further.

"Why have you risked the health and welfare of my Hanyou in such a way, Jinenji?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice mild. His the choice of words, however, caused jaws to drop in the room and demons to look at each other in confusion.

"Mmm...my.. Lord, he.. aaaa.. that is... ummm.. you see... _Im sorry_!" Jinenji started to cry again, not able to look at his Lord. Guilt came off the horse Hanyou in waves.

Manten, his nerves more than a little shaken by the blatant claim of ownership the Lord had made, quickly took the opportunity, "Lord Sesshoumaru, the Hanyou, during your absence, has become dangerous. He hurt his nurse and sent her into a coma for three days. I had to take steps to make sure he hurt no one else. Since then, he has refused to eat, ignoring my pleas for him to eat and communicate. He has been totally uncooperative, my Lord. The breaking of the collar may have destabilized the pathetic creature, my Lord, or mayhap he simply yearns to return to his home, to his true Masters in the Temple of Light. In spite of the treatment Lord Bankotsu witnessed – the Hanyou has for many years been a loyal servant to the Temple of Light. Given his violent reaction to his gentle nurse, mayhap such treatment was actually warranted. Mayhap the pathetic thing, in his own twisted way, enjoyed it."

Manten was foolish, but not a fool. There was not a hint of a lie about his words. In himself he truly believed every word he said. The nurse did not remember the incident. Manten had totally convinced himself that his scenario was the true one. The Hanyou never begged him for food; Manten had twisted that in his own head to mean that the Hanyou was rejecting his kindness. Demons who could sense when a Demon had lied to them, had to take the pretty Demon's word as they could sense that he was not telling them a lie. And, in a way, that was true. The Demon was not lying to them.

He was lying- just- not to them.

Manten successfully lied to only one person – himself. And when there were no other real witnesses, no other being to nay say him, his lie was the most successful.

Bankotsu's eyes flashed red at Manten. He knew his own truth, he knew what he had seen, and Manten's words enraged him. The brown dog's Youki rolled off him, his displeasure clear. Manten cringed from the force. Banksen'O placed a hand on the General's arm. The elevated youki had caused Jinenji to cringe as well, and the cloaked figure shuddered silently in pain. Bankotsu immediately yoked his youki. His eyes however, promised retribution to the demon that had even subtly challenged his words.

Lord Sesshoumaru just stood there, silent and still, unreadable to all in the court. It was not Manten's words that held the Demon Lord's attention, rather it was the Horse Hanyou's reaction to the Demon's words that gave Sesshoumaru a pause. For the first time in the three hundred years he had known the healing Hanyou, he had seen a flash of anger in the Horse's eyes. Sesshoumaru would not have believed it possible. That Jinenji actually had the ability to get angry was interesting and a little amusing, so Sesshoumaru had allowed the little speech. Then, the cloaked figure had shivered and Sesshoumaru's amusement evaporated.

Ignoring inconsequential issues, he went to his Hanyou.

Jinenji 'eeped' in surprise as Lord Sesshoumaru suddenly appeared, crouching down before him.

Sesshoumaru was a little curious. As a Hanyou, the being he has seen had been handsome, his features young, strong and compelling. He wondered how he would look in his weakened state. Most Hanyou were, unfortunately, rather ugly or uninspiring in terms of looks and spirit during the time their Youki receded.

Deadly claws carefully moved the cloak, exposing the Hanyou to his and Jinenji's eyes alone.

Sesshoumaru's breath caught. The human face was smaller, the skin darker, and the short mop of silver hair, was now a luxurious fall of ebony. Sesshoumaru touched the human's cheek. His first impression was of how much softer, gentler the human face was. How beautiful it was - and how fragile.

oooooooo

Inuyasha had been vacillating between consciousness and unconsciousness ever since he turned human. The moment he had actually turned had been the worst, Inu screamed from the the intense agony his human body experienced. The half breed immediately wrapped his energy around the human aspect to take the brunt of the pain from him. Weak – so damned weak. There was nothing; nothing left, no energy to fight, no dreams, no hope, nothing left to fight for. Worse, nothing left to fight with.

They were dying.

And, there was not enough energy left to even take shelter in the sanctuary. As much as they had struggled against it, affected by the drain, all four aspects fell to unconsciousness.

It had been dark, empty, and then a tickle of energy had seeped into the human. Very slowly the tickle seeped inward, into the half breed, and from him to the other aspects. Though the human aspect received the energy first, it was Inuyasha that first forced himself away from the peace of the dark and partially rose to ensure the safety of the other aspects.

Something.. someone was feeding him, energizing him, saving him. Why? Why were they saving him? Ever since he had become a half breed at nine years old, only that old lady had saved him. Was it her? That question bugged him, and he accepted the healing to try and find the answer. Unknown to him as he fought to get back to the light and see who was saving him, he himself stepped away from the silent shadow of death, and his soul was happily returned as death made a silent exit.

He did not have the strength to actually open his eyes, but his sense of smell worked fine. Not the old woman – a Hanyou. He questioned his sanity. Was a Hanyou really helping him?

He sank into himself and gathered the other aspects into the outer sanctuary, feeding them energy as he stroked their long hair. Inu and Yasha both had to fight to stay conscious. They were still too weak. Pup had not responded to the call. Concerned Inuyasha staggered into the inner sanctuary. There on the grass, Pup lay unmoving.

They had been too close to death. Inuyasha hesitated.

Sensing the dominant aspects' presence, Pup's eyes cracked open. Pup's body was so heavy, so very, very heavy. He tried to smile and reach for Inuyasha, to stop the sadness he could see in Inuyasha's eyes. Pup only managed to move a few fingers. It was enough.

The collar was no longer there but his mental barriers were weak. Easily breeched. It was a risk, but... they had almost died apart. They had almost left Pup- alone -to die. Inuyasha could not bear it. No matter the risk, he had to take the chance. He would do his best to protect them, but he could bear the separation no longer. He was just not strong enough. He could not take it, not anymore. They had almost died apart, alone.

A strangled cry left his lips and he stumbled forward, gathering Pup into his arms, holding him tight. A rush of memories swamped him, overwhelmed him. Fears, pain, joys, wants, desires, happiness, a sense of being alive, of having a sense of self – all swamped Inuyasha and for a moment. He was almost swept off his feet; the whirlpool of memories pulling him down, trapping him in the past.

Then, he was caught! Hands reached out and held him steady, pulling him to the present. He wasn't alone with his past. As a child, he had somehow created a structure that allowed him to remain intact and sane By splitting himself, he had saved himself. Inu and Yasha's presence reached around him, held him and drew him to them.

When Inuyasha opened his eyes, the three other aspects were staring at him. For the first time in their lives, all four aspects were touching. It was dangerous, but it was the most amazing feeling that Inuyasha had felt.

He was finally, finally whole.

His voice was rough and raw when he whispered, "We are one."

For the first time ever, four voices harmonized and said "We are one, and I am me."

They stayed in the inner sanctuary for a bit, but then Inu was pulled out towards consciousness. Leaving the other two aspects safe, Inuyasha immediately wrapped his will around the human aspect and rose with him.

They were no longer being fed extra energy and the weakness quickly drained everything from them. They were being carried. It was a careful and a gentle movement – but – it still hurt, and they were still too debilitated to bear the pain easily. They lost their battle to stay awake.

Fear! Inuyasha's mind snapped to vigilance; powerful demonic energy moved around him and fear. Someone was afraid. The Hanyou who was carrying him - saving him – was afraid. Inuyasha blocked all other aspects from consciousness. There was no reason for them to know. Inuyasha did not bother trying to open his eyes. He focused on his ears on listening. The voices were disjointed and far away, but he understood.

The Hanyou was in trouble for saving him. The Hanyou was not allowed to take him to a better place, to stop the pain. But it was okay. Inuyasha could feel the waves of confusion and fear from the Hanyou. That was not right. This Hanyou was weaker than him - and he had done so much for him. Inuyasha forced himself to speak. It was enough. He could bear it, he would survive. The small words drained the last of his energy and Inuyasha slept once again.

Energies pushed at him, demonic powerful. It pressed against the barriers and hurt. All four aspects were forced awake by the pain. Yasha immediately picked up Pup, and plunged deeper into the sanctuary. Having combined, Pup was now much more vulnerable to what occurred to their dominant aspect. This time, the other two would deal with the world. His task was to keep Pup safe.

With Inu conscious and temporarily dominant, the half breed aspect wrapped itself around the human spirit as a buffer. Inu, unable to rely on his other senses the way Inuyasha had done, forced his dark purple eyes open to face the world.

Sesshoumaru leaned closer when the eye lids fluttered. Dark amethyst eyes opened. The eyes were dazed, uncomprehending, mesmerizing,.. and filled with pain. Sesshoumaru felt a growl rise in the back of his throat. At the rolling sound, the human's eyes filled with a different emotion – fear. His eyes darted to the one holding him, and then back at the growling Lord.

Sesshoumaru could almost see the human gathering his strength. A small tongue, darted out to lick dry lips, he swallowed and swallowed again. The human inhaled, and all those simple actions seemed to drain the human. Still the human fought to gather strength, until finally his mouth opened.

"My.. my fault. Punish me.. not him.. please! My fault.." The human's eyes darted to Jinenji to comfort the crying healer. The fear was for the healer's safety, not his own. The words strained his parched throat, he coughed painfully, and that drained the last of his energy. Purple eyes closed once again.

Jinenji wailed ever louder at the soft words, blabbering that it was he who was at fault- he could not let the human die. It was his fault he had to save his patient!

Sesshoumaru was not really paying attention to the horse Hanyou. His attention was still focused solely on the human. He tore his eyes from the fascinating face, and moving the cloak aside, he finally looked at the rest of the human's body. The anger that he had felt when he had seen the fear in the human's eyes returned ten fold.

The boy was not slim – he was starved, his body emaciated and wasting away. His Hanyou, his white Shiro Inu Hanyou, his human... had been starved, while in his care. Some one had hurt what was his.

Sesshoumaru carefully re-wrapped the human. Just as carefully, he put up a shield between the two Hanyou and the rest of the world. Only then did he slowly stand. His tail and his hair began to flare around him as his anger boiled hot. He turned, his whip slashed out, cutting the shoulder of every demon present, except Bankotsu and Bakusen'O.

Commander Kagura and Jakutso were the only ones who managed to stay standing. All the other demons were clutching their bleeding arms, moaning and rolling on the floor.

Sesshoumaru's words were sharper than his whip. "Why was a Hanyou in my Palace allowed to starve?"

Everyone froze, their fear thick in the air.

Commander Kagura fell to her knees. "My Lord, I have no excuses. I failed you, my life is yours!"

Jakotsu stepped up, "My Lord, Commander Kagura, and the rest of us were following your orders explicitly, we did not approach the South East tower, nor speak of the one who wore the collar. When Baron Hachiemon had to deal with the matter of the mine collapse, Lord Manten volunteered to care for the hanyou. And, he has been the only one who has been seeing the Hanyou. We have no defense, we were following orders my Lord." So saying, Jakotsu knelt beside Kagura. If the Commander were to be punished he would share the punishment.

"My Lord!" Manten choked out, pain in his voice. "I already told you, the Hanyou choose not to eat. He seeks to divide our Lord from his true followers, to cause distrust. He is sick, evil. He welcomed.. accckkk ahhhh ahhhh!"

The Demon voice was cut off as the heel of Sesshoumaru's boot ground into his hand. "Silence! Kagura, Jakotsu – stand! You were following orders. The true fault therefore lies in the one who gave the orders. For your actions, this Sesshoumaru absolves you!"

Kagura and Jakotsu both stood, their eyes never leaving the bleeding demon whose hand was pinned to the ground by Sesshoumaru's boot.

"You do not smell of a lie, Manten – but – you do smell! You stink of darkness. Though I am tempted, It is the way of the Shiro Inu's to seek justice, not vengeance. Commander Kagura! Confine this piece of filth, do not let his stench pollute the rest of my Palace. This matter will be investigated, and the punishment for the one responsible for this... " Sesshoumaru did not finish the sentence. He did not need to.

Orders given, the whining, crying Demon on the floor was totally beneath his notice, he turned to more pressing matters.

Jinenji's eyes had dried up. He looked with concern at the bleeding demons, but he too had a patient that needed his care much more. "My Lord Sesshoumaru, please let me take the Hanyou to my quarters. None will disturb us there and I will care for him. Make sure he gets better."

Sesshoumaru watched the horse demon hold the wrapped figure almost possessively, and his eyes narrowed. The two were Hanyou, that connection alone made it reasonable that they should be drawn to each other, and now the horse Hanyou would also be saving the other. They would get closer... No. The Shiro Inu Hanyou was his, and no one else was going to be allowed to be possessive of what was his.

Sesshoumaru glided towards the hanyou, bent and took the wrapped figure out of Jinenji's arms. His tail, Moko-moko, flared. Sliding gracefully under Jinenji's cloak, it wrapped itself around the the boy completely, utterly displacing Jinenji's cloak.

Jinenji's eyes widened as he carefully retrieved his cloak; Lord Sesshoumaru's face when he had picked up the human, had been- different. The horse Hanyou could not place the look. It was soft, softer than Jinenji had ever seen, but there was a strange fire in the Lord's eyes as well, a heat that did not bode well for anything standing in the Lord's way.

Sesshoumaru cradled the body. The weightlessness of the form bothered him greatly. "Jinenji, go collect all that you need. Caring for this one is your priority."

Sesshoumaru turned to walk away.

"Umm, my Lord, where will you place him?" Jinenji asked, fearful that Lord Sesshoumaru was going to put the Human back in the tower.

"This young one requires vigilance and a protected area, so that this will not be repeated. You will find him in my quarters." Sesshoumaru said calmly, rather enjoying the shocked expressions all around him as he swept out of the hall, HIS Hanyou nestled in his arms.

-tbc-

Hmmm.. sesshy is going to have MAJOR possessive issues I think. I hope the Inuyasha part made sense, if it doesn't review and tell me where and I'll fix it.


	11. Amusement and Bemusement

God this is the mid story – mind drain – tough writing – and literally just made the daily word count. Sigh!

The nurse is not really Jinenji's sister – he was just calling her that as a sister healer.

This is a break from the rest of the story – read and see.

Read, review and enjoy

**Chapter 11 : Amusement and Bemusement**

Sesshoumaru had not allowed even Jinenji into his chambers, at the break of dawn only he was witness to the human's transformation into a Hanyou. The change had been slow, beautiful, miraculous. It was an event that Sesshoumaru quickly decided was a sight that was for his eyes alone. He frowned at the short cropped hair, it seemed so wrong, an insult to the handsome Hanyou. The Lord's smile warmed as he reached up to stroke the silky puppy eared triangles on the Hanyou's head.

When Sesshoumaru had informed the Demon King of the existence of a Shiro Inu Hanyou, the reaction from his father and sister had been shocked surprise. The shock had quickly turned to outrage when they were updated on how the Hanyou had been treated. That a human had conceived and successfully carried a child of their cast of Demonic blood, was unheard of in their long history. They had no doubt a female human had bore the pup, if the mother had been a demon there was no way the boy would have ended up among the humans. A slight frown marred Sesshoumaru's countenance. How had the boy ended up among the humans? There were so many questions.

Even with the investigations they had discovered very little about the Hanyou's history. They did not even know his name. He had been found floating in the pier of the city as a baby, and had been basically raised on the streets. He had seemed totally human for years – how had that been achieved? Then, he had been discovered by the Church of Light, who utilizing their spiritual powers had forcibly awakened the inner demon of the human – and the Hanyou had emerged. Not even Bakusen'O in all his years had ever heard of such a thing.

How had the boy survived the collar? They had put it on him when he was only nine; not even a child in Demon terms. Sesshoumaru had himself fought the collar and knew the effort it had taken one of his age and abilities to destroy. If not for the proof before him, the Lord of the West would have sworn that surviving the collar at that age would be impossible for pure blood Demons and Seraphim, and yet a Hanyou had survived. How?

How had all this been done? Where did the Hanyou come from? And above all else – who was the Hanyou's sire? He was not of royal blood, that was all that Sesshoumaru could tell. Only one closely related by blood to the Hanyou, would recognize the Hanyou as a member of their family, and with a whole town-full of Shiro Inu Youkai in the capital... the search would be difficult.

A quiet knock on the door disturbed Sesshoumaru's reverie.

Jinenji timidly walked in carrying more medical equipment than Sesshoumaru had ever seen outside of a healer's bay. Sesshoumaru watched with mild fascination as the sometimes clumsy Horse Hanyou set up a temporary medical bay with amazing efficiency and effectiveness.

Sesshoumaru had found the Horse Demon some 400 years ago during the height of his battles with the Seraphim. It had not been one of his most glorious moments, his battalion had been caught by a much larger, much more prepared group of Seraphim. Though Lord Sesshoumaru had claimed partial victory, he had lost a third of his Demons, and he himself had been severely wounded. He had almost lost his left arm in that battle. It had been a worthy battle, and the Seraphim that had almost taken his arm had escaped with a hole right through his belly.

Sesshoumaru would have lost his almost severed arm, if Bankotsu had not rushed Sesshoumaru to a village that was rumored to have an exceptional healer. Jinenji had healed Sesshoumaru that day, and saved the Demom Lord's arm. Sesshoumaru had immediately offered Jinenji a place in his service, but the gentle Hanyou had humm, and hawwed and with a great deal of fear turned down the Demon Lord of the West. Jinenji refused to serve any army in the war, as his oath as a healer meant that he treated both sides if they came to him. Jinenji had been shaking so hard when he told Sesshoumaru of his decision, the Demon had been concerned that the hut they were in would topple over from the vibrations generated by the gentle giant.

Sesshoumaru knew that if he persisted the Hanyou would have joined him, but he admired the healer's commitment to his calling. He left the Hanyou to his task, and sent word that the Hanyou was in his protection. It had been gratifying, when a similar proclamation was made by a Prince of the Seraphim not long after that. In retrospect that incident had been a milestone in their long journey to peace.

Immediately after the war, Sesshoumaru had once again asked Jinenji to join him, and the Horse Hanyou had been childishly grateful and eager. The Lord had beaten the Seraphim to a similar offer by about a week. The curses of the Seraphim prince who had wanted the horse healer working for them had definitely been entertaining. For unwittingly providing such a spectacle to the Demon Lord, Sesshoumaru had presented Jinenji with the mirror. Using the mirror required confidence, and Sesshoumaru had been certain the hanyou would never have the guts to use.

Sesshoumaru's eyes tracked the slight twitching of the white ears, for the first time in his life, Lord Sesshoumaru was grateful that he had been mistaken.

The examination of the unconscious Hanyou was long and thorougher. The physical damage was extensive, but now that he was a Hanyou and being cared for, he would heal fast. It was his mental state that caused concern. The less stress on the Hanyou the faster his mental barriers would heal. Jinenji and other healers held long discussions and came to the conclusion that the best way to keep the Hanyou safe, was to keep him sleeping for a few of days until the barriers were stronger.

They were a little surprised when Lord Sesshoumaru had accepted that solution without protest. It was not for them to know that Lord Sesshoumaru was rather enjoying him himself as he meticulously examined the sleeping body, and watched the slight twitches of the delectable ears and lips as the boy slept. Patience was a virtue that Sesshoumaru had cultivated over his long existence, and delayed gratification only added to his pleasure at the end of the day.

Warm, cared for and guarded the Shiro Inu Hanyou slept.

On the second day of the Hanyou's 3 days of slumber, Sesshoumaru returned to his rooms after the day in court, a strange scent caught his nose. Jinenji had been called away to talk to the timid badger healer; who had almost had an apoplexy when Sesshoumaru had tried to question her. With Jinenji absent, his Hanyou was supposed to be alone. Rage mingled with concern, as the Demon Lord flashed into his chambers.

He barged into the chambers, the doors slamming open. He heard a tiny 'eep', and a scramble of sound. A flash of slivery white disappeared under the huge bed, and then silence.

The bed was empty, but his nose was telling him that his Hanyou was still in the room. Only there was another strange scent, it was not a scent of danger – not a scent of anything malicious. It was a scent that brought to memory green grass and trees.

Sesshoumaru had a curious feeling of bemusement, it was so alien to him, it was interesting.

Very slowly, Sesshoumaru crouched down and peered under the massive bed.

There was a tiny whimper and more scrambling, and Sesshoumaru blinked in amazement at the tiny figure huddling at the far corner of the space under the bed. The huge golden eyes and tinier version of twitching ears, he spent long hours watching, gave away the identity of the tiny Hanyou.

It was unbelievable, but then, what about the Hanyou so far had been 'normal?'

Considering his options, Sesshoumaru stood, and deliberately made a drama of moving back, and sitting on the sofa. There was no movement or sound from under the bed.

After five minutes of silence Sesshoumaru said in his normal calm voice, "Well, it seems I have a cowardly little kitten hiding under my bed."

Sesshoumaru had not quite counted to three, when there was an insulted gasp from under the bed and a irate head popped out. "Pup not a kitten and Pup not coward. Pup... Pup... just cold, and under the bed is nice and warm." the child stuck out a tongue at Sesshoumaru blew a messy raspberry and ducked under the bed again.

There was that bemused, enchanted and amused feeling again.

"You will come out now and tell me how you came to be here, I will not hurt you." Sesshoumaru said firmly.

"If you try to hurt Pup, Inu, Yasha and Inuyasha will get you!" Pup said as he crawled out rather hesitantly from under the bed. His golden eyes the largest feature in his face, filling with tears. "Pup wanna go home, no like this place. Please, Pup wanna go home."

"Where is home?" Pup looked confused, unable to respond to Sesshoumaru's question.

"How did you get here?" Sesshoumaru tried instead. The Demon Lord was tempted to reach out and pick up the cute child, but he had a feeling 'Pup' would disappear if he tried. There was something definitely magical and almost ethereal about the little child.

Pup was dressed in an off white houri, simple but durable. He twisted the ends of his long sleeves, and looked extraordinarily guilty. "Inuyasha is sleeping, Inu is sick and Yasha is looking after him. Yasha say Pup has to stay in home and be good, but the dirty, dark sky was gone, and Pup wanted to see. Yasha and Inu also sleep, so Pup can fly and come to see, but Pup now don't know how to go home. Pup wants thems, Pup wants to go home!" Working himself up emotionally the pup was going to burst into tears, when to Sesshoumaru's horror his eyes suddenly went blank.

Before the Demon Lord even took a step towards the Pup, the Pup's eyes rolled back, and a bright flash of light blinded the Demon Lord for a moment. When his sight returned lying sprawled on the floor was the still sleeping fully adult Hanyou, dressed in only the loose pants that the healer had put on him.

Sesshoumaru's eyebrows rose. He glided forward, lifted the body in his arms, breathing in the now familiar scent of his Hanyou. He placed him carefully on the bed and tucked him in. Then he stood beside the bed looking at the sleeping figure for a long, long time.

Interesting... very.. very... interesting.

Ooooo

Deep in the mind of the still sleeping dominant aspect, inside the sanctuary; Pup was caught between getting his head bopped and being hugged to death by the Demon and the Human aspects. All three older aspects had been jerked from their slumber by Pup's spike in distress, and Inuyasha had fought the healing sleep long enough to jerk Pup back, and slam him into the sanctuary. Inuyasha slept as his other two aspects dealt with 'disciplining' their own younger self.

-tbc-

Lol some were asking if the aspects would disappear not now that Inuyasha had combined. Of course not – too much I can do with it, also if they disappeared Inuyasha would not be able to bear the loneliness, he still needs them. I suspect over time they will appear less and less, but he will never allow them to disappear.

Heheeh hope you liked it – and NO – Sesshy is NOT attracted to Pup, he is not into Shouta.

Well what did you think? Interesting – not – I wanted to give a light chapter to make up for all the angst – and Pup is about the only way to do it. Review please, Pup needs to be 'hugged." :)


	12. The naivety of Youth

Long post – wrote yesterday as well, but held off posting cause it was rather short – have mentioned the point in the story. I am very very happy that you all like Pup. Thanks so much for the support. NaNo is such a fun stress – but you guys all make it easier to continue.

Fluffy GC – OUCH :P

Read, review and enjoy.

**Chapter 11 : The naivety of Youth **

Sesshoumaru felt a rare sense of anticipation. This was his Hanyou's last day of induced sleep. Jinenji would be arriving later to wake his Hanyou if he did not awaken on his own. Since the 'incident' last night, no one was allowed into Sesshoumaru's room without him there. The Lord of the West had not shared that little incident with anyone, it was his secret. There was very little that caused a sense of wonder in the world weary warrior and leader, but this Hanyou.. Sesshoumaru did not know what to make of it. And for now, he was not yet ready to share.

Sesshoumaru walked into the room, and silently acknowledged his sense of disappointment when the Hanyou lay sleeping on the bed. He had been secretly wishing for the reappearance of the tiny figure. Sesshoumaru shrugged it off, he reached out and ran his finger down the forehead and nose of the sleeping youth. Controlling his desire to touch more of the smooth skin, he sighed softly and walked to a side cabinet to pour himself a glass of rice wine.

The wine sloshed in the glass, but not a drop spilled as Sesshoumaru spun around in response to a flash from behind him. His eyes narrowed at the toothy grin of the figure that was crouching on the bed. He raised an eyebrow... interesting.

The figure that was crouching on the bed, was slightly taller than his Hanyou, jaggered purple marks lined both his cheeks. The long white tail was slowly swaying from left to right, not quite wagging, simply proclaiming his intentions as non-aggressive. The white hair was long, without the silvery sheen that Sesshoumaru had noted of the Hanyou and Pup, and most disappointing of all the Lord Sesshoumaru, the triangular ears that made his Hanyou so unique had been replaced by normal Youkai ears.

The eyes of the Shiro Inu Youkai before him were bright and bold, there was a slight nervousness and hesitancy in them. But... but the eyes did not possess the pain and hidden depths that he had noted in the Hanyou and Human versions of his Hanyou. Sesshoumaru wondered absently how many more versions were there – they were all interesting – and he wanted to see them all.

Sesshoumaru allowed his Youki to rise, proclaiming himself the dominant and the leader in the encounter. He was a little amused as the golden eyes flashed a little in annoyance, and then the demon before him also raised his Youki. That was what Sesshoumaru had wanted, the Demon Lord quickly assessing and measuring the energy output of the young Demon.

Sesshoumaru's face did not give away his surprise. That the demon before him was strong, with a great deal of Youki and potential did not surprise him. That the young Demon would have been matched with the highest level of elite guards when they first entered training did not surprise him. What surprised him, was the rawness of the Demon's energy. The Demon before him looked at the least 300 years only, but his energy signature did not match. The Demonic energy streaming from the Demon, was untested, undeveloped and forming. It was the Energy signature of a much, much younger, Demon. One that was hardly older than the Pup that had hidden under his bed. A tiny hint of a smile crossed the Demon Lord's face, even as a pure Demon his Hanyou still managed to intrigue and delight him.

The young Demon was trying to challenge the Demon Lord's raised Youkai, and instead of reacting to the challenge as if it had come from a warrior, Sesshoumaru added a gentle twist to his Youkai. It was the energy equivalent of an adult dog, nipping the nose of an unruly adolescent dog. Sesshoumaru was unsurprised when the young Demon flinched, his face giving away his surprise. Then with what was a slightly insulted pout, the young Demon's energy receded.

The young Demon processing the event quickly, decided that it was best if he did what young ones in potential trouble did best. Pretend the little incident had not happened.

"Keh, I told them that things would be better when we found honorable Demons, I knew you were a Demon of honor." The Shiro Inu Demon said as he jumped off the bed and stood with a slight swagger. Sesshoumaru's face was unchanged, he noted the bravado, but he could also see the jump of uncertainty in the young Demon's eyes. While the young one claimed to 'know' they were demons of honor, his need for reassurance was almost palatable. The young one desperately feared disappointment.

Sesshoumaru had no intention of disappointing his Hanyou, not in any way.

He simply nodded at the young Demon, keeping the small reassuring smile on his face. He wanted the young one to take the lead in this encounter; he wanted to see what the young one had to say; he wanted answers to his many questions.

The young demon seemed to relax, when the Demon Lord nodded, his toothy grin flashed as he eagerly took a few steps towards the Lord.

"You removed the collar, and now you are allowing me to recover. Am I to serve you now. I am really strong, and a very good fighter." The young one boasted eagerly.

"If you are eager to serve the Demons, why did you refuse to eat? Why did the Hanyou almost allow the human to die?" Lord Sesshoumaru asked quietly.

The young demon froze, his jaw clenched and his muscles clenched. His dropped his head, covering his eyes, and he whispered, his voice was shaking with anger, he was barely able to control himself. "We did NOT allow Inu to die, as long as we have something to fight with, we will fight... but.. but.. we had nothing! Until the strange Half breed came, we had nothing left."

"That Manten brought food to the South Tower is undeniable. Why did you reject the food?"

The young demon jerked his head up, his eyes were swimming with moisture, but the tears did not fall. He drew himself up and stood tall. His tail curl protectively around one leg, reducing the target points to hurt him. He had no power here, the Demon Lord was his owner and the pure Demon aspect had no chance against Demonic energy streaming off the Lord. Still his golden eyes snapped with defiance, like Pup, this was the first time he had risen to the physical world. This was the first time he had a chance to say the words that he had so wanted to say.

"We are owned, we are controlled. As a Hanyou, everything has been stripped away, the collar forced us to say what ever the damned Humans wanted. The took everything from him but still Inuyasha protected us. As our owner – you can take our lives – but we will not GIVE you our honor. We are one, and - Demon, Hanyou or Human as long as I can control my own words, I will NEVER BEG for our life. We have honor as well. If you want us to beg, find another collar! We will never, never beg anyone to save us, we would rather take our chances with Death!"

The demon drew himself tall, his body shaking from anger and fear, maybe it had been a big mistake for him to rise. Maybe he had spoiled it all. Maybe the Demon Lord would kill him for his insolent words- words Inuyasha would never have said. His fists clenched, for once he would protect the others. If the Demon Lord attacked him, he would bear the brunt of the attack. This time he would face death in the physical world. He would not beg and he would NOT back down.

(FYI : This is what I wrote earlier – If I had posted this without the rest – I think the grumbles of cliffie – would have been LOUD and LONG... hehehe.. :) )

Ice flashed though Sesshoumaru, cold, hard and unforgiving; the air around the Demon Lord seemed to freeze as the expressionless Demon's energy chased the warmth from the room. Yasha tensed further, his spine was ramrod straight, tense to the breaking point. He would not cower.

"Manten wanted you to beg for food?" Sesshoumaru's voice was without inflection.

"YES! Demons of honor do not do that! They DON'T! They have HONOR! Demon's don't do that!... Do they?" The last words were whispered desperately, as Yasha dropped his head unable to look at the Demon anymore. Yasha's words were the words of the idealist. The cry of one who wanted to believe, needed to believe, but was coming to the point of losing the idealism. So close to losing the belief in the dreams of youth that had fed hope to a being trapped in a hopeless situation.

Sesshoumaru saw that clearly, and the air became a few degree colder. With effort he ensured his voice was calm and smooth. "No young one, Demons of honor do not do that. We are upfront, we are just and we are deadly. We do not taunt our enemies, strip them of everything. Honorable Demons do not put collars on other demons, humans or Seraphim. We respect strength, we seek justice, we fight and we kill our enemies with honor. We do not prey on the weak, we respect honor."

Yasha's head slowly rose as he gazed with a dawning wonder and disbelief at the Lord. It was wanted to hear, what he needed to hear, and he was a little afraid to believe.

"I am Sesshoumaru, Lord of the West, and young one I do not lie, I have no need to. Manten is being investigated and he will be punished." Sesshoumaru said firmly his eyes holding the eyes of the young one demanding he believe.

Yasha nodded, but he said nothing. He stood there silently, allowing the words to sink in.

"When he asked you to beg, I assume that you told him what a dishonorable piece of filth he was?" Lord Sesshoumaru asked when the silence seemed to stench longer then even he was comfortable with.

Yasha blinked a little confused, then he understood. "Oh I wanted to say that. That would have been so fun." He said with a flash of his returning brashness, "But Inuyasha put a barrier on me, so I could not really get direct contact with the demon, Inu said it would not have been good for me. Inuyasha does not say much, so I don't think he said anything to the Demon."

Sesshoumaru put his anger aside, and focused on the young Demon's words. "What is your name young one?"

The young demon flushed a little, and the shine returned to his eye. "What this is so cool, I had heard about this. I gotta do this right." He seemed to dither a little, than straightened, and bowed rather awkwardly to the Demon Lord, "Umm... I have a name its Yasha, and I am honored to serve you."

Sesshoumaru curbed his irritation again at the young Demon's choice of words, "Who is Inuyahsa?" He asked softly, he already had a pretty good idea but he wanted to confirm it.

"I am Inuyasha." The young demon answered immediately.

The answer was not what the Demon Lord hand been expecting. But he was not going to repeat himself futilely. "Hmm.. and how did you get to be here?" Sesshoumaru asked instead,

"Umm.. Inuyasha was sleeping, and with the collar's layer gone, I could finally rise. I wanted to meet you so I rose." Yasha flushed charmingly, "I am so happy to meet you Lord Sesshoumaru, you are our owner and I will serve you a Demon of Honor in any way I can."

"How can you be Inuyasha if you are sleeping?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Yahsa frowned in confusion, "I am Inuyasha, we are one."

"But you said you rose while Inuyasha was sleeping, so Inuyasha is different from you." Sesshoumaru persisted in a reasonable voice.

"No, we are one. What are you saying I don't understand you, we are one." Yasha said unhappy at this turn of conversation.

Sesshoumaru eyed the demon, unlike the Hanyou, this demon version much like the Pup seemed unable to hide or contain his feelings. The young one was honest and straight forward, his confusion genuine. Sesshoumaru had a sinking feeling that his answers would not be forthcoming.

"You said you wanted to serve me, is that true?" Sesshoumaru asked changing the subject. He may not get answers but at least he could clarify some roles for the young one.

Yasha nodded eagerly.

"What can you do for the Kingdom of the West?" Sesshoumaru a little amused by the enthusiasm of the nodding. The demons tail was finally uncurling from around his leg, and beginning to wag with increasing energy.

"Oh anything my owner wants. Errr.. when I rise that is. I am really very strong, and I can fight, and fight. No matter what I will not give up. I can take a lot of damage, and I know enough about priest magic to act as a shield for other Demons. And I heal pretty fast, I wont die easily. I am really strong my Lord. You saved me from the collar, you are a Demon of honor. You can use me in any way my Lord, the priests trained me in many things. I will do anything for you. Anything." The bright eyes shone with an eagerness to serve, with the need to be accepted by the Demons, to find a place for him to belong. It was Yasha's dream to serve honorable Demons It was a simple, humble dream. Given their circumstances even Yasha had dared not dream of more than that. For him to serve a Demon that radiated power and honor like the Lord of the West, without the collar weighting his soul down -was more so much more than he imagined. He would not beg, but he would do anything to make his dream come true. Not so much for himself, but for his other aspects that had fought so hard to protect him through all the years of torture.

"Yasha will serve you in any way you desire." The young one said, his smile was open and engaging. He stood dressed much like pup, in a simple gray houri, eager to do his new owner's bidding.

"Hmm," Sesshoumaru was a little surprised by the words, the young one as a Demon was as handsome as he was as a Hanyou. Only he felt younger, and that to an extent made Lord Sesshoumaru take a step back. But the young one's body was fully mature, and the offer was sincere, eager even. It was likely that the humans had caused the young Demon to mature in this way, perhaps only his fighting Youki needed to mature.

Lord Sesshoumaru, was definitely more interested in dealing with the Hanyou, but the nights of watching and the light touches were making the Demon Lord ache. Since the demon seemed so eager, perhaps he he would just have a taste of what the priests had trained the young one to do.

"Kneel before me." Sesshoumaru instructed, and with a grin Yasha knelt on one knee before the Lord, he had heard out this in some of the stories told by the Priest trainers. They had spent hours on guard while the Priests and Priestess had learned their lessons and listened to stories. The lessons had bored him and fascinated Inu, the stories both of them had enjoyed. And they would repeat the stories to Pup and Inuyasha in their sanctuary, so for a short time their dominant aspect could actually enjoy the story. On hyper alert when he served, if Inuyasha had been so careless as to actively listen and enjoy what was going on around him, the priests would have 'seen' his mind wondering from his task. Them would deem it a failure and his punishment for his inattention to his sacred duty as a guard dog, was swift and extreme. By his 11th year, Inuyasha had learned to not take any pleasure in the world around him when the priests were around. It was not his place to even partake passively in the enjoyment of the far superior priesthood.

Inu and Yasha however, hidden beneath the collar, did manage to enjoy the stories. And Yasha remembered clearly of how the human warriors would kneel before the King or the Lord, and be given duties and titles. His eyes sparkling with anticipation he knelt, as his mind tried to remember the words in the story. He could not remember it exactly – but he would try. He cleared his throat, put his fist on his heart and tried to make his voice deeper as he said, "I, Yasha, give my pledge to Lord Sesshoumaru to serve him with ummm.. honor and.. and .. darn what was it.. ah yes! To serve him with honor and devotion. My word is my bond, and I give my body, my heart and sword... wait I don't have a sword. Well... ummmm... oh! Who needs swords? I give my body, my heart and my claws (They are much better than swords) to Lord Sesshoumaru so that I may bring honor and protect my Lord, the Land and the country. I offer you this tithe, as a mark of my pledge to you." Yasha beamed at Sesshoumaru – rather proud of himself. He did not know what 'tithe' actually meant but that was the last words that the knights had said in the story. "How's that?"

Lord Sesshoumaru could not hold back his smile, the young Demon was offering himself to the Demon Lord, and it would be churlish of him to refuse. "That was excellent, and yes claws in many cases are better than swords. Lord Sesshoumaru accepts your pledge, and you have my permission to give me your tithe immediately. You may begin." Sesshoumaru said with a vague gesture to his waist, it would not be good too seem too eager.

Yasha blinked at him. "Umm.. how exactly do you want your tithe my Lord?"

Sesshoumaru actually chuckled, "You prefer clear instructions young one, very well, I shall tell you my preference..." Sesshoumaru reached down and cupped the young demonic face, he stroked the velvet markings. He leaned forward, until he was almost nose to nose with the young Demon. "What I want you to do is.."

Before Sesshoumaru could complete the sentence, Yasha's eyes rolled back, and Sesshoumaru just managed to close his eyes before the flash.

When the demon Lord opened his eyes, he stared into the deep gold eyes of the Hanyou. The layered depths hiding many, many things. Cropped hair brushed his face and neck, and triangular puppy ears, flicked, alert to the dangers of the world. The ancient eyes, in the young face, lowered as the Half Breed went on both knees, and bowed low before his owner.

"Forgive the Demon aspect my Lord. He is young, and he does not understand what he has promised my Lord. He was quoting from a story where a landless human knight had offered much gold and jewels to his king, and had received much honor and land in return. Though he has matured physically to my level, mentally, emotionally and sexually he is very much a Demon of only 20 years, barely out of puppy-hood. He thinks of serving you only as a warrior my Lord, he truly offered nothing more. He does not have the skills, nor the ability to serve you. He is too young to make such a tithe." The voice was horse and low. Hollow and empty, the half breed waited for a reaction. There was none.

oooo

Inuyasha had been asleep, the healing sleep had been amazing. Then he had felt Inu's frantic energy around him, becoming more and more concerned. He fought off the last layers of the drug and was surprised to find that he was in the outer sanctuary, Yasha having risen to temporary dominance. The half breed aspect had immediately understood the situation, his heart hurt.

"I will go, be prepared to receive Yasha, and you will all join Pup in the sanctuary." Inu caught the arm of his dominant aspect. His eyes haunted. "Why did they save us? Why do we..."

"Hush!" the Half breed reached out and hugged the human, "This time you will be in the sanctuary as well, there is no we, in this... we are one, but only this aspect will rise for this. There is no 'why' there is just what is. At least this time the best parts of me will all me safe, and as for this part.. well with you all safe, it is enough, we will survive."

Both aspects heard the pledge that Yasha was giving, and shared a poignant smile, at the adolescent Demon's naivety. Then the Lord had reacted, and there was nothing more to discuss. The half breed, jerked his Demon aspect back, and sent him and Inu deep into the sanctuary. He buffered the barriers and effectively sent his subservient aspects to sleep. He alone would pay the price for their life and for the Demon Lord accepting their service. He rose to consciousness. He would do what was needed.

Oooo

Making sure his head was bowed low, the half breed raised his torso. "Mongrel as a half breed is well of age, and understands all that is required, the pledge is therefore Mongrels. If it pleases you, Mongrel has been well trained my Lord. Mongrel will service you in any way that suits your desires, allow this half breed the privileged of seeing to your pleasure." The half breed reached out with clawed hands, but he did not touch the rich cloth. He would be careful to wait for permission, his position, kneeling, neck exposed, hands lifted, put him in an openly vulnerable position. In this position he could be kneed, whipped and kicked before he could protect himself – not that the collar had ever allowed him to protect himself.

Still this was the position of submission he had been trained to put himself in, if not for Yasha's pledge without the collar, he would not have chosen to take this position. But things that are owned had no choice, all he could do was protect what was important and ... survive.

"Your orders, my Lord?"

-tbc-

4000 words – made up for two days of writing – now dont you think this was a MUCH BETTER cliff hanger to leave you at... *evil evil chuckle. Review please. I know its complicated... but what to do its is not just Psyche 101 .. so please review, give comments and ideas.


	13. The value of a Name

The Value of a Name

Got tired yesterday ended up watching Full Metal Alchemist brotherhood, words added ZERO, but the anime ROCKS! Busy but had to write - a little

**Chapter 13 : The Value of a Name**

_But things that are owned had no choice, all he could do was protect what was important and ... survive._

_"Your orders, my Lord?"_

The silence lasted only a moment, then a deep sigh rumbled out of the Demon Lord's chest. "Orders, orders Hanyou, how about this for an order, stop making my heart ache!" So saying gentle claws reached down and buried themselves in the soft silky hair. Sesshoumaru bent and kissed the point between the twitching appendages.

"Come on, if Jinenji walks in and finds you like this, he will start crying – and we will both end up feeling bad. Come." Sesshoumaru did not bother waiting for a response he picked up the Hanyou and cradled him, in his arms. Inuyasha's eyes widened impossibly in shock, he stared at his owner.

"Hmm, so you are feeling again. The 'deadness' is no longer blanketing you mind. The face you present is a mask for real emotions. That is good." Sesshoumaru smiled into the Hanyou's face, as he placed him on the bed. The Hanyou did not move until Sesshoumaru took the heavy blanket and gently tucked the Hanyou in.

"Wh.. whha.. My Lord should not..." the half breed suddenly realised that his owner was making him comfortable in a sleeping position in the bed, not in a position for other activities. Feeling that it was wrong, he began to sit up and struggle. A rumbling growl shook the bed, and the Demonic energy of the Demon Lord spiked, causing the half breed to freeze.

Deliberately, Sesshoumaru placed a hand on the Hanyou's chest, and pushed him firmly back on the bed. He kept his hand on the Hanyou's chest and prolonged his growl. The sound vibrated from the Demon Lord into the Hanyou, and mesmerized by the sensations flooding him, the Hanyou relaxed. His eyes half closing at the new and different emotions the vibrations aroused in him.

Sesshoumaru with a lot of effort controlled his arousal, his Hanyou was surprisingly sensitive, extraordinarily reactive to Sesshoumaru. Still, this was not the time for what Sesshoumaru wished to do, at this time the young one's needs took precedence.

"Hanyou, no one tells this Sesshoumaru what he should not do." Sesshoumaru said firmly as he let the growl die. He could not resist a slight stroke to the youth's cheek, before he glided to the side table, ignoring his long forgotten glass of rice wine. Sesshoumaru took his time as he poured a glass of water and brought it back to the bed. The Hanyou had managed to gather himself, and lay on the bed looking at the Demon Lord with blank eyes. Sesshoumaru took a sip of the water, then he sat at the side of the bed, and place the cup to the Hanyou's lips.

Much to Sesshoumaru's pleasure, the blank look crumbled, to a look of stunned shock and confusion. "Drink!" Sesshoumaru ordered softly, the Hanyou immediately complied, but the golden eyes were wide, a myriad of emotions playing in them. The pale cheeks flushed a little under the steady gaze of the Demon Lord. |Excellent!

Sesshoumaru did not speak until the youth had finished the drink. His eyes never leaving the handsome face, he tossed the empty cup absently on to the empty sofa.

"I am Lord Sesshoumaru, Lord of the West, and the Voice of the Demon King. What is you name young one?"

The half breed immediately responded in a way he felt was least likely to cause offense, "You are my owner, I will respond to what ever word you see fit to honour your property with."

"Young one, the Lord of the West sees it fit to refer to you by the name that was bequeathed to you by your family and parents. It is I who would be honoured if you would tell me your name." Sesshoumaru chose his words carefully.

"I.. I.. was a foundling as an infant. I do not have parents. I do not have family. The Priests and Priestess of the Temple of Light mostly called me Mongrel, It is a most appropriate for one of my status." The half breed said his voice flat and matter-of-fact.

Mimicking the Hanyou's flat and matter-of-fact tone Sesshoumaru replied, "Any individual who refers to a Hanyou in my Palace, as a mongrel will be whipped." The Half breed gasped in response. Sesshoumaru having his Hanyou's attention held the young ones eyes with a burning gaze. His voice now dripped with warning, "AND... make no mistake young one, from now and in the future, if you ever respond to such a term or refer to yourself again -even in your own thoughts- using such terms, Your Lord is going to be very, very irritated. Do you understand?"

The half breed suddenly found his throat to be bone dry, he tried to gulp, to create some saliva, but it was to no avail. Words just refused to come, all he could manage was a sharp nod, he stared unseeing at his hand. This was overwhelming.

A sharp claw stroked one of his ears, first one than another. The half breed was used to equating touch with pain, and the gentle stroke of his ear.. was confusing. He could not take it. "Please..." he whispered. The claws lifted his chin to face the Demon Lord. "Please..." he said again, the half breed had no idea what he was asking for.

Sesshoumaru saw the confusion and pain in the eyes, the youth was being overwhelmed. The Demon Lord stepped back a little and clasped his hands together to control the temptation to touch.

"What is your name?" Sesshoumaru repeated.

"Umm.. I refer to what I am as.."

"NO! I did not ask what you referred to yourself as. The Demons do not have slaves, I am NOT your owner and you will cease insulting me by that term. I am your Lord, your pack Leader -your Alpha-, and in that manner you belong to me. You are my subject, my Hanyou, -my Beta- but you are not a slave. You are not a thing, you are mine, but you are not property. You are a Shiro Inu Hanyou, what is your name?" Sesshoumaru insisted.

The half breed felt as if his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. The rushing of blood in his veins drowning all sound. He had said it before, but he had never, never claimed it. No one outside of him self had ever called him by what he did consider to be his name. The world around him seemed to narrow, and all he could hear was his heart beat, and all he could see was the sharp golden eyes of Lord Sesshoumaru staring deep into him. Demanding he respond, challenging him to take a huge step away from the chains of memory and training that bound him.

The words seemed to be dragged from some dark place inside him, his panted as if he had been carrying a very, very heavy weight, up a steep dark slope. Sweat rolled down the sides of his face, his jaw was clenched so hard that his teeth were in danger of being snapped from the force. The veins in his neck stood out. As if he had just reached the summit after the long, lonely climb, as if he was finally throwing off a portion of the burden; he suddenly sat up straight. Looking directly into the eyes of the Demon Lord, his voice harsh and almost tortured, the words were torn from deep inside him,

"MY name is InuYasha!"

He said the words and fell back on the bed, all energy drained. He watched the Demon Lord with uncertain eyes.

"Yes, you are Inuyasha, and Lord Sesshoumaru is most pleased to welcome you into his life." Most satisfied with the turn of events, and rather proud of himself, Sesshoumaru rested his hand against Inuyasha's cheek. "Very pleased indeed."

-tbc—

I know its a short chappie, but it seemed like a natural end to scene, anything else dilutes it. What do you think. Please review. And Thanks


	14. Brother?

Hey glad everyone is enjoying this. 9 days to go – official word count as of this chapter 38037 – arrgghhh . Dont worry will make it. :D

This is dedicated to Caitriona who wanted a more Inu perspective. Thanks for you support ad insights.

**Chapter 14 : Brother?**

"Brave and beautiful, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru's eyes never left the Hanyou's as he repeated the name. Smug was probably the best word to describe his feelings, as the youth flushed, paled and flushed again. A permanent crack in Inuyasha's barrier to his emotions appeared and a tiny light - that looked like wonder – began to shine in the golden eyes. Sesshoumaru wanted to see those eyes blaze with life, to see the brightness he had seen in Pup and Yasha reflected in the depths of the Hanyou. He suspected strongly, that the Hanyou's light when allowed to shine forth would rival the light of Lady Kaede and other spiritual beings. Why Sesshoumaru suspected this- was uncertain – it was only certain that Sesshoumaru planned to make sure the day would come when all would see the brightness within the youth's soul.

And he Lord Sesshoumaru would bring it out. Yes, the Demon Lord was smug. Jinenji could heal his Hanyou's body but it was he, who was going to heal everything else. Lord Sesshoumaru, called the Ice Prince, called the Killing Perfection, was for the first time a healer. Most interesting indeed.

The timid knock he had been expecting sounded on the door. Sesshoumaru did not resent the intrusion, it was welcome. His Hanyou was definitely overwhelmed, the presence of the healer would be a good buffer. Jinenji had told Lord Sesshoumaru of the human version's whisper, and Inuyasha definitely needed to see that the one who had saved him was safe and respected.

"The healer is here to see to your wounds, Inuyasha. I will be in attendance." Sesshoumaru whispered with a last caress, before he glided towards the door.

OOO

Those golden eyes no longer holding him captive, Inuyasha breathed out a sigh of relief. He felt as if his emotions had been dragged out, spun a hundred eights degrees, tossed up and down a couple of times, and than just before they hit the floor with a resounding splat, he had be caught, held and somehow made lighter. His head ached, the Lord Sesshoumaru, his Lord, his owner – No, not his owner – his leader. His pack leader. Every word Lord Sesshoumaru said had slammed into him, every word was etched into his mind. He was not owned, not a slave, he could not quite believe it, he did not dare. What if it was a trick, what if they tore it away from him later. That had been his first thoughts when Sesshoumaru had said those words.

Then Sesshoumaru had made him say his name, had forced him to claim, what had always been his. How could he have not realized that, his name was his. It was not a label – it was a name- and somehow he began to believe. Just a little he began to believe. Lord Sesshoumaru had said his name, not once but three times. Each time the Demon Lord had said his name, his voice had been full of warmth, and each time Lord Sesshoumaru said his name a soothing balm seemed to wash through him. The name soothed the many cuts, wounds, scars and aberrations in his mind and his heart, flowing into the sanctuary bringing added warmth to those within.

Still it was too much to absorb at once, and when Lord Sesshoumaru had moved away, he felt able to breathe a little better. He was tired, exhausted physically, emotionally totally wrung out, but he did not want to sleep. His mind was awake and jumping. He had been sleeping for too long as it was. His ears flicked at the odd clomping steps, and his eyes widened as he looked towards the door and saw the half breed healer walking towards him. The healer had been real and not an illusion created by his starving mind.

The healer approached him, and Lord Sesshoumaru went to sit on the sofa, and finally sip at his patiently waiting glass of rice wine. The wait had allowed the wine to mature nicely, and Sesshoumaru sat back to enjoy the drink and the show.

Inuyasha watched silent and impassive as the healer bustled around him. He responded immediately to all the healers requests opening his mouth, lifting his limbs and flexing various muscles. He did not ask questions, in fact he said nothing at all though the check, his face gave nothing away of his emotions. He seemed serene and content. He did not seem to stare, kept his eyes neutral, but his ears twitched and scanned, monitoring everything.

Finally the Horse Hanyou had completed his check, and was packing his equipment, commenting on how happy he was that his fellow Hanyou was safe and well cared for. Finally, the quiet yet rough voice said softly, "Thank you, Mo.. I.. I am sorry that I gave you so much trouble, I will repay you in any way I can."

"Repay me by getting better That is enough. You should never have been allowed to get so sick in the Palace in the first place." Jinenji said with a sad shake of his head.

Inuyasha simply shrugged, those kinds of things he did not waste time worrying about. He stood up, a little shakily, he needed to stand for this. "Healer?" He said his voice getting quieter. Sesshoumaru's ears picked up, he pretended to be focusing on something out of the window, but all his attention had swiveled to the conversation.

"Little brother, You may call me Jeninji, please, and ask me anything." Jinenji said when the youth was silent.

"Are... are you a slave?" The question was whispered and urgent. Inuyasha did not know why but he simply had to ask the question. The Demon Lord had said that they did not keep slaves, but this was a fellow Hanyou, he had to ask.

Jinenji reached out and placed a warm hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, "Little brother, there are some Demons from provincial areas that may keep slaves, but in the Western Demon Lands, in the capital, indeed in all the Lands directly under the rule of the Demon King, there are no slaves. All, demons, seraphim, humans and yes, Hanyou are free. There are not many of us, but we are all free. And so are you."

The Gentle brown eyes, met Inuyasha's with open honesty and gentle understanding. Inuyasha searched those eyes, and another shackle crumbled to dust, he nodded. "My name is Inuyasha." He said his eyes darting to the Demon Lord who was had stopped pretending that he wasn't listening. Sesshoumaru impeccable in expression was watching the two, his cool golden eyes kept being drawn to the hand resting on his Hanyou's shoulder.

Inuyasha looked back at Jinenji, who snorted in pleasure.

"Inuyasha, huh? The name suits you. But Inuyasha, if you do not mind however,.." Jinenji said growing a little red, he inhaled deeply and gathered his courage, "If you don't mind however" he repeated, "except for the healers,I have had no real family since my mother died. I know that you are a Shiro Inu Hanyou, and I am only a Horse Hanyou, so please do not be insulted. But maybe you would consider... I mean I would be really honored, if you consider me your family. I really, really like calling you, little brother." Jinenji said the last words in a rush, he felt unaccountably close to the youth he had saved. The youth who was now looking unblinking and unemotionally at him, for a long time.

Jinenji's shoulders dropped and he released Inuyasha's shoulders. "Its okay, I will just call you In..."

"Hush." Inuyasha said cutting the Horse Hanyou's words off. His face still did not give any of his emotions away, but there was an almost glowing brightness in golden eyes. "It is I who would be honored. That you would consider a mon..." A low growl of annoyance from the Demon Lord had Inuyasha biting back the word he had used as a force of habit. "That you would consider one such as me as your brother, is more that I could hope for." Inuyasha finished instead. He barely had time to brace himself.

"Little Brother!" The horse Hanyou yelled, bursting into tears he glopped the shocked Inuyasha, picking him up off his feet and sobbing into Inuyasha's chest. "I am so happy Little Brother."

"Um ok, great.. stop crying, put me down and stop crying please!" Inuyasha said his calm exterior finally breaking, as embarrassment and a slight feeling of panic set in, when the Horse did neither and cried even harder.

Sesshoumaru was initially amused, but his amusement died abruptly when Jinenji picked up Inuyasha and began rubbing his face into Inuyasha's chest. Brother or not, none were allowed that level of privilege.

One second Inuyasha was getting seriously flustered, being hugged to death by the Horse Hanyou, and the next his torso was wrapped completely in the fur of the Demon Lord, and he was being held a foot off the ground. The Demon Lord stood between him and the healer.

Sesshoumaru's eyes were narrowed and ice hard as he glared at Jinenji, "As Lord of the West, I endorse your claim f brother hood with the Shiro Inu Hanyou," Sesshoumaru said, he ignored Jeninji's gasp of pleasure and continued, "However, as a dominant Shiro Inu Youkai, I warn you, do not over step in your physical handling of MY Beta." Sesshoumaru growled out challengingly, gentle healer or not, Sesshoumaru's instincts would in no way be denied. Jinenji's eyes widened and he bowed submissively. There were many layers of pack law, some obvious and some subtle. Sesshoumaru was warning him clearly that as Lord he accepted the Hanyou as a respected pack member, but on a personal level he was claiming the young one as his. Demons had very little patience for others interfering while they were courting, and were quick to challenge any action that they deemed as a potential barrier to their success.

The horse Hanyou's quick submission placated Sesshoumaru, He turned and brought the still Hanyou, wrapped securely in his tail, down in front of him. "And you!" Sesshoumaru said when they were nose to nose, "Did I not warn you that I would be irritated if you even thought of yourself in such terms?"

Inuyasha had been startled by the Demon Lord's actions, and did not comprehend the import of the Lord's words to the healer. The fur wrapped around his chest, holding him off the ground; should have felt restrictive, but it did not. Instead being held in the fur, felt warm, comfortable and little bit ticklish. Then Sesshoumaru faced him, and there was a sense of inevitability when he realized that the Lord had caught his disobedience. He was no longer a slave, but he had disappointed his Lord, and that there would be consequences was only natural.

"Yes my Lord, punish me as you see fit." Inuyasha said without inflection, well versed in how to respond to authority for his crimes.

"Punish you? Hmn... This is not punishment – this is simple logic. It is you who irritated me, so take responsibly, it is you who must sooth me."

Inuyasha's brows drew together – he did not understand. Before he could say anything Sesshoumaru caught his chin, tilted his face, and claimed his lips in a kiss. Inuyasha should have been horrified, been swept away into dark memories. He was not. In truth the Demon Lord's lips on his, reminded him of nothing from his past. It was new, and unprecedented.

The lips were insistent, dominating, and demanding, he felt his lips part in response. The Demon Lord's tongue swept into his mouth, tasting him, claiming him. Inuyasha's whole being shuddered in response. The lips took him, took his warmth, his breath – but at the same time – they gave. They gave him heat, gave him sensations and filled him with something he could not name, he wanted it – but it was too much. He could not hold back a tiny whimper.

Immediately, the kiss was broken, and Sesshoumaru drew away. Inuyasha looked up worried that he had made the matters worst, he should have just been silent. But Sesshoumaru's eyes were warm, and he leaned forward again and licked Inuyasha's cheek and nose comfortingly. "You did an amazing job of soothing me Inuyasha. Hmn.. now I have to consider a suitable reward." Sesshoumaru said satisfaction dripping from his voice. Inuyasha was throughly confused, his world thrown off kilter as his Lord once again played the maid, and tucked his Hanyou into the bed. "Rest, tomorrow you will be allowed to leave the bed, and meet the court. For now rest." Sesshoumaru leaned forward and pressed a possessive kiss to Inuyasha's forehead.

Utterly discombobulated, Inuyasha obeyed, closed his eyes, and gave in to sleep.

Jinenji, smiled. He had been a little worried by the Lord's claim, but as he watched the two together, he realized that Lord Sesshoumaru while he would claim the healer's new younger brother utterly, he would do so gently. Responding to the youth's needs, as he fanned the flames of desire. Inuyasha would be safe in his Lord's care.

Sesshoumaru straightened, and nodded. The two walked out to the corridor. Jinenji gave the Lord a quick summary of the youth's state of health. Than he hesitated. Sesshoumaru saw the hesitation and raised a royal brow.

"Ummm.. Lord Sesshoumaru I am not sure if you just want my speculation, mayhap its best if.."

"You will speak now Jinenji. There is nothing about Inuyasha that I will allow hidden from me." Sesshoumaru said.

Jinenji sighed, he had been afraid of that, "My Lord, according to the reports he hid the fact that he was a Hanyou until he was nine years old. For one with his levels of Youki, that should have been impossible. And if he had hid his Youki, what drew the attention of the Temple of Light to him? From Myouga's latest report, the Priestess of the Temple literally picked him out of a thick crowd of people. What was it that drew the temple's attention to him? I have treated him as a human and as a Hanyou, it should not have happened, my Lord. As a human, none should have been able to guess he was a Hanyou.

"And there is more. Your Lord Sister has sent the reports from the families of Shiro Inus none of the males of an age to be this one's father was anywhere near the City of the West at he time my little brother was conceived. All have denied copulating with a human female in that period. I thought we had his age wrong but his physical age is definitely accurate. I cannot explain it." Jinenji said shaking his head.

"And I doubt, that Inuyasha himself could explain it. This just gets more and more interesting." Sesshoumaru's tone was contemplative as he walked with the healer to dinner.

-tbc-

Hahaha now many though I meant Sesshy was his brother? Sorry this is really not Inucest – they are not closely related at all. Hmmm so what is it about InuYasha? I had to have Jinenji cry again – just could not resist. Please review.


	15. Scent! The Nose Knows

Dedicated to Sparkling Snowfall for being such a wonderful person and has an amazing nose for holes in the plot. Closed some of those holes for you.

Thank you everyone for the great support.

Read, review and enjoy

**Chapter 15 : Scent! The nose knows**

Footsteps faded down the corridor, and golden eyes gingerly opened. Inuyasha curled up comfortably in the bed, his lips tingled, and his fingers stroked his own lips. A kiss, so that was what a kiss was supposed to be. He remembered how as a human his lips had been smashed, cut and molested by others. In no way would he have considered that a kiss. This had been a kiss.

Suddenly feeling a little strange he pulled the blanket over his head. Under the cocoon of sheets, he inhaled deeply, once, twice, three times. Realization flooded Inuyasha, the growl that had rumbled though his being had been more than a growl, and the kiss was the same. It had been more than a kiss. It had been a cleansing, a claiming.

Inuyasha inhaled again. The complex scents flooded his olfactory system. The Demon Lords saliva , on his face, inside him, just that little bit, administered during the kiss; seemed to be cleansing from his very being the scents of humans, of cold steel, and of the sick metallic scent of blood. The terrible scent of his captivity that had been so much a part of his life, was for the first time being replaced by another scent. The scent of Lord Sesshoumaru, the scent of pack, of belonging.

Scent was important to Inuyasha, no matter what, his nose could not be fooled. This scent said he was not a slave, he was not rubbish, he was not abandoned and alone. He was wanted, he was a member of a pack. Scents did not lie, he was a member of a pack, he actually belonged. A dry choke escaped Inuyasha's lips, he cupped his hands around his nose and mouth, he wanted to breathe in that wonderful scent. A little bit more at ease, Inuyasha drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

A little while later, Lord Sesshoumaru entered the suites. His eyes softened as he gazed at the Hanyou sleeping soundly in his bed. With a flash of amusement Sesshoumaru wondered what his sister would say if she discovered that he was sleeping on the sofa, while a cute little Hanyou curled up in his bed. His earlier impatience had almost led to one irreversible act with his Inuyasha; Sesshoumaru was not one to repeat a mistake. So he would sleep on the couch until he was sure. He watched as Inuyasha moved a little in his sleep, and then inhaled deeply, before sighing and settling down in the bed.

Earlier he had seen how uncertain the young one was. As Jeninji had spoken of family Sesshoumaru realised that the young one was a Shiro Inu that had never had the protection of the pack. Never been part of a family. The thought had disturbed the Demon Lord greatly, his whole life; even before his birth someone had been by his side. His twin sister had been with him, his mother and his father, his pack, his people, his country. He had always had a place, he had always belonged. For his Inuyasha to be so deprived, was unacceptable, absolutely unacceptable. Inuyasha needed to KNOW he belonged in the most basic ways possible amongst the Shiro Inu. He needed to carry a pack marking.

However, Sesshoumaru had dealt with those recovering from captivity often enough to know that any kind of permanent marking would be premature. Inuyasha only just freed from the worst kind of slavery would only too easily misconstrue the meaning of the markings. Sesshoumaru's only recourse was to use the lightest of scent markings. Saliva marking was the most basic mark used mainly on children, and as part of most ritualistic ceremonies. For now it would have to do.

Sesshoumaru had thoroughly enjoyed delivering the marking, and of course, the Hanyou who had very little experience with Demons, did not realize the subtleties of the scent mark Sesshoumaru had placed.

Sesshoumaru had marked Inuyasha with a highly personalized version of his saliva. The saliva was not the same as that used by the Demon Lord when he was healing wounds or when he licked the pulse points of those swearing fidelity to him when he accepted them as his people. No the saliva, he had released into and onto Inuyasha was extremely exclusive, and any Demon who came as close to Inuyasha as Jinenji had got would scent Sesshoumaru's courting claim on his Hanyou. The scent was extremely subtle and only those who came closer to Inuyasha's body than was socially acceptable would scent it. Those that crossed the boundary of proper personal space with Inuyasha would suddenly be hit by a wall of scent warning. The warning was simple and clear, "Mine, Trespass at your own risk."

Sesshoumaru stretched out comfortably on his royal sofa, in a simple act he had succeed in reassuring Inuyasha of his place within the pack, added a layer of protection, and lightly marked Inuyasha as the one Sesshoumaru's was courting, but... best of all he had a chance to savour those delectable lips, and the Hanyou had not reacted in fear. Lord Sesshoumaru did excellent work. Contented the Dog Demon drifted to sleep.

00...00

The next day, Lord Sesshoumaru had eaten breakfast with Inuyasha, and had informed Inuyasha, who had fully recovered, that he would present himself at court at noon. Jinenji would be coming to escort him and Inuyasha had to be prepared. Sesshoumaru had absently stroked Inuyasha's hair and ears as he spoke. Once they had eaten he picked up Inuyasha's hand placed a kiss on his palm, and licked the throbbing pulse point at Inuyasha's wrist, reinforcing the pack mark. Then the Demon Lord had left.

Inuyasha watched the demon lord leave with serene eyes, inside he was not quite sure if he was disappointed or relieved that they Demon Lord had not even tried to kiss him on the lips again.

Later, Inuyasha dressed in simple white top and pants, followed Jinenji into court. The Hanyou was dispassionate, though everything around him was new, he seemed to pay his surroundings no heed. His ears and nose scanned for danger all the time, and Jinenji was a little saddened that even when they walked through a beautiful garden, his little brother had not overtly acknowledged or enjoyed the beauty of his surroundings. Only the slight lifting of his neck, and an increased depth in his breathing were proof that the young Shiro Inu Hanyou had been moved in some way by the garden.

Inuyasha did not make eye contact with any of the demons that passed them, nor did he hang his head. He looked at the area above their shoulders, and always nodded politely to those who called out to them as they walked pass. He relied almost solely on scent and sound to identify people, Inuyasha had never been allowed to look at more than a handful of individuals in the temple of light, but from scent and sound he could identify every single being that had been in the same room with him in the temple of light. So much so, that no impersonator or assassin had ever managed to fool him, not even for a moment.

Now, he was doing the same thing, his ears and nose identifying individuals, categorizing them, identifying small traits that would give away an impostor or indicated to the Hanyou that the individual was over stressed or unnatural. Of his surroundings Inuyasha was clinically assessing everything. He noted the beauty, but that was the least important item, instead his focus was on the shadows, the nooks and the niches, the escape routes that may prove to be a flaw in their defenses. Inuyasha could sense that his behaviour was disappointing Jinenji, but his new big brother seemed too trusting, too gentle. Inuyasha knew better. He would bear the disappointment over ever seeing those around him unnecessarily hurt due to his inattention. He had a new pack, and he would protect it.

Finally they came to the great doors of the court, the guards opened the doors and the two Hanyou walked in. Inuyasha knew power, what ever else said of Lady Kikyo, she was one of the most powerful humans alive, and Inuyasha was subconsciously been aware that Lady Kikyo's greatest asset was that none seemed to realize that she only showed about half of her true powers. Inuyasha had consciously discovered that when he was 16. Lady Kikyo had immediately known that he had seen more than he should have. She had set about purging the memory from his mind. In spite of all that he had been through; the fove minutes of torture he had received directly from Lady Kikyo's mind as she tore though him; still made him break out into cold sweat. She had believed she had purged his memories, but he had instead buried them deep. Leaving behind only the memory of the torture, he had attributed the cause to him displeasing his owners. Only now that he was one with Pup, did he have access to those thoughts again.

So Inuyasha knew power, and though he remained outwardly impassive, behind his barrier all four aspects had one thing to say, as they gazed at Lord Sesshoumaru a shining being of silvery alabaster seated on a throne of ebony and crimson, WOW! Power and beauty radiated from the Demon Lord, the other Demons in the room were powerful as well, but Lord Sesshoumaru led them all. He was not just powerful in terms of Youki, but also in terms of charisma, physical strength of arms and intelligence. More then that, his rough kindness in his dealings with Inuyasha, made the Hanyou feel more than was wise for one in his situation to feel.

Following Jinenji's lead, he bowed to the Demon Lord. Sesshoumaru rose and made a brief introduction of Inuyasha to the court, saying simply that the Shiro Inu Hanyou, Inuyasha was now an honoured member of the court, for the time being his status was that of a General Apprentice, allowing him to learn, study and develop his skills, strength, knowledge and abilities, in order to earn a permanent position. It was a standard position given to young adults, but just the acknowledgment had Inuyasha bowing to hide the burning sensation in his eyes.

When he raised his head, his mask had snapped into place once again.

Sesshoumaru stretched out a hand to Inuyasha, and the youth following directions given to him earlier, knelt and pressed his lips to Lord Sesshoumaru's knuckles. He then offered his right hand to Sesshoumaru, who accepted the hand, and mimicking his earlier actions, placed a kiss on the open palm before licking the Hanyou's pulse point. The only thing that had spared Inuyasha utter embarrassment was that he assumed the actions of the Demon Lord was totally traditional. The lick was, the kiss on the palm however had every single individual in court raising their eyebrows. More importantly those who had been impressed with the Hanyou's exotic ears, silvery hair, golden eyes and shock black eyebrows, were quick to divorce themselves from any such potentially lethal attraction.

Bankotsu smiled, after that little gesture none would dare insult the Hanyou in any way. Sesshoumaru had just declared that the Lord's honor rested in the Hanyou's palm, and any insult to Inuyasha would be equivalent to a direct insult at Lord Sesshoumaru. Bankotsu approved. There was something about this young one, the more they found out about him, the less they seemed to know. After what the young one had survived, it was only right that he receive the best, some balance had to be attained.

Inuyasha stood tall, none the wiser of all the subtleties at play. He bowed again, and was grateful when Jeninji took him to sit at the outer most layer of the hall, where others of his status sat. He nodded to them all but now that he was no longer distracted by Lord Sesshoumaru, began a minute examination of the court room.

After about an hour, Inuyasha was still engrossed in his assessment rather then the court proceedings. A scent hit his nose, and his whole body tensed. Yasha roared inside him. In unison, the three adults pushed the confused Pup into the inner sanctuary and closed it tight. Hyper alert the three stood together, as the Demon who had almost killed them walk into court... in chains. Inuyasha was unable to stop his gasp of surprise as the pretty Demon, now walked into court disheveled and chained, misery radiating from his being.

Jinenji laid a gentle hand on Inuyasha's clenched fist. "Little brother, did you not believe Lord Sesshoumaru when he told you that such behaviour was dishonourable and unacceptable in our lands?" Inuyasha blinked at Jinenji, he had believed, kindda, sortta – but perhaps the crux was that he had needed to see. He had not realized such a need existed within him. He glanced at Lord Sesshoumaru, and the Demon Lord was looking directly at him. The Demon Lord did not smile, but there was a look in his eyes that reached out to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha may not have realised it, but Sesshoumaru had known. He knew that Inuyasha would have to see justice being carried out on his behalf, in order for him to take his next few steps down the down of recovery. That is why Lord Sesshoumaru had delayed Manten's sentencing, he wanted Inuyasha to witness the proceedings.

Hiten, Manten's older brother and advisor to the heir to the Demon Throne had come to represent Manten. From his demeanor he made it clear, that while he loved his younger brother, and would defend him, he would accept the court's rulings.

Magic filled the air. None in court would be allowed to lie.

One by one witness came to speak of the events leading to that day. Hachimon spoke of how when he had left all had been in order and Manten had volunteered for the duty of caring for the Hanyou. The badger nurse, came and spoke of how the Hanyou had been in a coma the whole time she cared for him, of how easy and wonderful he had been to care for. She made it clear she did not remember how she fell, but she sincerely believed that the Hanyou had nothing to do with her accident. Her final words were a miserable whisper of "I am kind of clumsy, so as unlikely as it sounds I may have simply stepped on the back of my skirt or just tripped on my tail again. I'm sorry."

Guards, other healers and servants all came forward to give witness of how Manten had warned them away from the tower, how he had taken food to the tower daily and how he had reinforced the idea that Lord Sesshoumaru had wanted the Hanyou isolated because he was dangerous and that the Hanyou had hurt the nurse deliberately. Commander Kagura and Jakotsu spoke of Manten's behavior and his awakening them that night. Jinenji than spoke of how the Hanyou had been found almost starved to death, and how horrendous his physical state had been, Jinenji prudently left out details surrounding his visitation with death.

Then finally it was Manten's turn to speak. The Demon stuck to his story, of how he was defending everyone, how the Hanyou was tricking every one and was a pawn of their enemies. He Manten was the real Hero and they Hanyou realizing that Manten who did not believe him was a true threat, and engineered his supposed starvation. Manten had taken food for the Hanyou but the sly creature never choose to eat.

Manten ranted on and on, becoming less and less coherent.

Finally he began to say how the disgusting Hanyou was beguiling Lord Sesshoumaru, and Sesshoumaru's patience snapped. "Enough! Are you insinuating that the Royal Blood of a a Shiro Inu Youkai is so weak that it can be controlled?" Sesshoumaru's voice chilled the temperature in the room by several degrees.

The words snapped the Youkai back to reality. He paled and dropped to his knees, crying. His eyes were confused but a darkness swirled in their depths. "My Lord, I have always served you loyally, I have always been loyal, please My Lord I meant no offense."

"But offend you did! Inuyasha is the victim in this, and he has informed me that the reason he did not eat is that Manten wanted him to beg for the food. I have delivered Inuyasha's words and give my word that the young one spoke true. He will not be traumatized further by this situation. You have all heard what you need to hear, none here have spoken a lie from their understanding of their situation. Elders you are to decide if Manten acted with malicious intent to murder an innocent within the palace and deliberately committed a treasonous act or not. Consider well, for death is a possible punishment for either of these crimes. Elders your verdicts!"

Six leaders of various departments or groups acted as elders in the Demon trails. The departments were chosen based on which department was most neutral and the least involved in the matter. All the 'Elders' this time had been chosen from the city, as none within the palace walls was truly neutral in the matter. The Elders were not allowed to discuss, instead each held on to a staff. If their verdict was innocent the staff glowed white, if their verdict was uncertain the staff turned green and if the verdict was guilty the staff glowed a dark brown. In face of a tie, or pure uncertainty Lord Sesshoumaru would cast a deciding vote.

The staffs were lifted in the air, three staffs turned verdant green, and three more staffs turned brown. Sesshoumaru smiled coldly, "With the weight of my vote, I pronounce Manten guilty of the crimes committed. Since none believed in the possibility that he was innocent, I will evoke the full sentence of the law. Manten you sentence is De..."

Sesshoumaru's words were interrupted when Inuyasha silently appeared kneeling between the Demon Lord and Manten. "Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru said his voice immediately softening on the word.

"My Lord, I did not die. The sentence of Death would be unfair." Inuyasha said quietly.

"It is not just the matter of your death young one, he is also a traitor, who has knowingly twisted my words, and disobeyed. The punishment for that crime, is also death. Deliberate acts of treason, cannot be ignored." Sesshoumaru explained gently, he had sensed the Hanyou would not allow an execution on his behalf, the charges had been deliberately worded to ensure that Manten's sentencing was not linked to Inuyasha's state of health.

Inuyasha glanced back at Manten, the Demon was staring at him, not in relief, but with a mixture of confusion, and pure dripping hate. Inuyasha met the gaze with poised calm. He turned back to Lord Sesshoumaru, "That is just it my Lord. Though it is a poor excuse, my alertness in the cell was impaired, forgive me for allowing this to slip my guard. My Lord, I do not believe this Demon Manten was acting deliberately. Please, Lord Sesshoumaru summon one with Miko-like powers to do a 'seeing' of this Demon, there is a scent about him that is wrong. A scent of darkness that is vaguely familiar to my .."

Inuyasha did not finish the sentence. A burst of power exploded out of Manten, sending Inuyasha and most of the demons crashing to the ground. Manten screamed in agony, his body melting, twisting and writhing, they could hear the Demon's bones breaking, as his back was torn open and a mass of darkness rose like a gigantic serpent from the shattered body of the Demon.

Before any could react, the mass split into three and aiming its attacks simultaneously at Sesshoumaru, Bankotsu and Bakusen'O the three most powerful Youkai in the court, all three braced for battle. The darkness hit their guards, and shattered, all three attacks had been a ploy, Three pairs of eyes turned and watched in horror as the Mass sped at its true target, the Shiro Inu Hanyou, half squatting on the floor.

Sesshoumaru, Bakusen'O, Bankotsu, Jakotsu and Hiten blasted energy at the true Mass. Thanks to the feint their attack was a moment too late.

The Mass shattered under the force of demonic powers, but it had struck flesh.

Blood and wind filled the court room.

Blood splattered on court members standing more than 15 feet away.

Only the panting of Demons was heard, as the smoke and darkness cleared.

Inuyasha lay in a pool of blood, his eyes wide with horror.

Kneeling above him, her blood dripping, her fans shattered and the whole top part of her shoulder torn away was Commander Kagura. Her pink red eyes shining with grim satisfaction, "This time I protected you Young One. I'm sorry I.." her eyes rolled back as she collapsed in a heap on to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha screamed for a healer.

-tbc-

Well NO cliff hanger! I was tempted to stop at "blood and wind filled the courtroom." As Watanaki yells so uselessly at Domeki - "BE GRATEFUL!" hehehe I expect the same reply Domeki gives Watanaki from the readers, a rather flat "Ahou!" hehehe (From XXX-holic)

Well, hope you enjoyed it, and understand Sesshoumaru a little bit better. He is arrogant but he is truly not a jerk in this fic – he has an older sister after all. :D heheh. Please review.. did I clarify anything?.. ideas on what's actually going on anyone? Review and tell me please.


	16. The Seraphim

Thank you everyone. I am really, really happy that you enjoyed the last chapter. It was a challenge to right and I am glad it paid off.

Read, review and enjoy

**Chapter 16 : The Seraphim **

Jinenji and the healers worked around the clock after almost two whole days, they managed to stabilize both Commander Kagura and Manten – what was left of him.

Manten if he ever recovered, would be at least a foot shorter than what he had been. The healers had to fuse what remained of his backbone together. His face was untouched, but scars ran from his neck to his hips. Though the healers had stabilized him whether he would live and have a mind was questionable. That thing had been controlling the demon, and while the Demon's own pettiness had opened his mind to the Mass, the price he was now paying seemed high. Once Manten had stabilized sufficiently, Hiten with Lord Sesshoumaru's approval, moved Manten back to their family holding in the South east Demon lands. The Demon was still in a delicate state, if he did not make it, his family wanted him to die among those that loved him and if he ever awoke being in a safe location was critical.

Commander Kagura's situation was a little different. Demonic healing magic could recombine almost any part of a being as long as the part was there. A whole chunk of Kagura's right shoulder had been blown off, disintegrated by the mass, regeneration magic was required. Demonic magics was based mainly on the elements of earth, water, wind, fire and will, could not regenerate, Seraphic Magic was needed. Word had been sent to the Seraphim, informing them of their need. The reply had been almost immediate a delegation led by a Seraphim Prince was on its way. As the Seraphim could not open the Mirror portals, they were estimated to arrive four days from the attack. That made Sesshoumaru raise a suspicious brow, even winged they should have taken a week to get to the Demon Lands, what that meant was the nosy Prince had already been on his way to visit when they received the message.

Now what would bring that thorn in Lord Sesshoumaru's side to the Demon Lands? Sesshoumaru glanced at his Hanyou sitting ramrod straight, on guard nearby Commander Kagura's bed in the sick bay. Nothing good he feared, nothing good at all.

Inuyasha, when he was not sleeping, or at the training rooms, was inevitably found in the healers bay. Not only was Jinenji there, Inuyasha had appointed himself temporary guard of the Commander and the healers. Sesshoumaru had encouraged that as next to his chambers, the healers bay was currently one of the most protected areas in the Palace. Jinenji and Jakotsu usually escorted Inuyasha around the Palace.

It worried Sesshoumaru a little, that even though he was free, Inuyasha never left a room he was in unless he was escorted or given explicit instructions on the time he was supposed to leave. Inuyasha stayed in what ever room he was put. He did not enter places he was not explicitly told he could enter, and never began a conversation. While it made keeping track of Inuyasha easier, Sesshoumaru was carefully monitoring the situation.

On the other hand his private relationship with his puppy-eared Hanyou was progressing, but at a frustratingly slow pace. Inuyasha was getting comfortable with the Demon Lord, touching his ears, hair and body, any chance his Alpha got into touching distance. Sesshoumaru kissed Inuyasha's hands and licked the wrist pulse point daily, but did no more than that. The changes were minute, but they were there. Inuyasha slowly began to lean towards Sesshoumaru's warmth almost waiting for his touch, and increasingly the Hanyou watched Sesshoumaru's lips.

The funniest thing to Sesshoumaru's twisted sense of humour, was that Inuyasha still did not seem to realize that he was sleeping on the Demon Lord's bed, while Sesshoumaru graced the couch. Sesshoumaru only stretched out after Inuyasha was sleeping, and he was always sitting when the Hanyou awoke. Since Moko-moko was his blanket and pillow, and Lord Sesshoumaru was always immaculate, it could be argued that there were no real physical clues provided. However, considering how acute Inuyasha's sense of scent and hearing seemed to be, it was unlikely that the Hanyou was fully unaware that he had company while he slept. It seemed to Sesshoumaru that Inuyasha did not want to consciously acknowledge he was not alone at night. The Demon Lord found that bit of denial on the Hanyou's part rather endearing and infinitely cute.

For exposing the darkness in their midst, Sesshoumaru had presented Inuyasha with the three items of clothing given to him as tithe from the human city. All three pieces of clothing were rich, well made and of a quality that made them equivalent to light armour. Inuyasha was to wear one of the outfits on the day the Seraphim arrived. The Hanyou had been truly flustered, no one would give him a clue as to which one he was supposed to wear. The choice was totally his, and as much as the idea pleased the Hanyou, he was a little terrified of making the wrong choice.

"Which item of clothing is Lord Sesshoumaru's favourite?" Inuyasha finally blurted out a few hours before the Seraphim were to arrive. Sesshoumaru hid his smile behind his napkin as he pretended to dab at the last bits of breakfast. Finally the Hanyou had initiated a conversation.

Sesshoumaru gracefully stood and walked to the three robes, pretending to scrutinize them. He watched as the Hanyou seemed to almost sigh in relief that Sesshoumaru was going to help him choose. Sesshoumaru waited for a count, and then turned and with shrugh of his shoulders and a falsely innocent smile said "I like them all!"

Inuyasha's jaw dropped. "But... but..."

"Choose the one you like best, Inuyasha. I look forward to seeing you dressed." As they were having guests that day, Sesshoumaru first licked Inuyasha's wrist, before leaning towards Inuyasha's face, his breathe caressed Inuyasha's lips as he exhaled.

Inuyasha's eyes opened wide at this turn of events, his dithering over the outfits forgotten. The Demon Lord was so close, he was so warm, the memory of the one kiss, came rushing back, and Inuyasha's lips parted. Sesshoumaru leaned further forward, and gently licked the tip of Inuyasha's nose. The he angled his head, and licked Inuyasha from jaw to ear; properly leaving his scent on his Hanyou; before releasing him and disappearing out of the room with a flourish.

The scent of the Demon Lord on him, was absolutely wonderful, but Inuyasha could not help the stab of disappointment that Sesshoumaru had once again ignored his lips.

A half hour later, Inuyasha sat in his sanctuary watching in bemusement, as Inu, Yahsa and Pup argued heatedly over which outfit he was to wear. Inuyasha had just decided to spin a bottle and wear which ever outfit the bottle pointed at. He was about to do just that, when the three aspects had combined and unceremoniously hauled their dominant aspect into the sanctuary. That he could not leave choosing the right outfit to chance was the last thing the three had agreed upon. Each had a different favourite, and each wanted Inuyasha to choose that. When they started shouting at each other Inuyasha had begun to intervene. But, then had come the other thing the three had agreed upon, glaring at Inuyasha all three had unified and said "YOU stay out of this!" Inuyasha had immediately sat on his haunches and wisely stayed silent. The whole situation seemed rather surreal to him.

Pup, being Pup, seemed to be winning the argument, and Inuyasha was almost cringing with apprehension. Pup wanted them to wear the gold, red and green outfit, which had fine embroidery of trees and forests all along the boarder. It was beautiful, but by far, the gaudiest of the lot.

Yasha wanted a solid red outfit, which had gold and black rope decorations around it. And Inu wanted to wear something more like their normal outfits, the white outfit, with no obvious patterns, but rather had silver and gold threading running through out the cloth.

The most heated argument was between Pup and Yasha, they were enjoying their fight and it seemed that Pup would be the winner. Suddenly Inu gave a really, long and sad sigh. "Actually, I withdraw my choice," He said despondently, "The both of you have had a chance to actually meet and talk to Lord Sesshoumaru, I have not even seen him properly. He will probably hate my choice. So what ever to two of you decide is fine."

Yasha looked stricken and Pup almost ready to burst into tears as they stared at their human aspect, crouched sadly on the ground, drawing circles in the sand. Suffice to say the argument ended there, with Inu's more sedate choice, suddenly becoming the unanimous favorite. Somehow Inuyasha was not surprised, Inu was the most mature of all of them. He like Inuyasha experienced the abuse, still he survived and managed to forgive and see the good in others.

All that taken into account, he was still Inuyasha that meant he liked to win. The satisfied half smile on Inu's lips said it all.

Inuyasha wore the white outfit, and walked with Jinenji out to the courtyard, where the group waited the arrival of the Seraphim. Sesshoumaru could not suppress his satisfied smile at the sight of his Hanyou. The outfit looked the simplest – when in fact it was probably the most costly of the three. The silver and gold strands caught the light just right. Inuyasha shimmered as he walked, his white shining hair now just touching his collar bone, seemed to call to the Demon Lord. How was Sesshoumaru to resist such a call?

As Inuyasha neared him, Sesshoumaru's hand reached out and sank into the slivery softness. His thumb caressed Inuyasha's temple and his eyes shining in approval, Sesshoumaru whispered, "Well done, my favorite is you Inuyasha, Demon, human or Hanyou, clothed or unclothed, my favorite is you."

Caught between embarrassment and pure pleasure, for the first time in over a decade, Inuyasha's cheeks flushed red. Unbidden he took a tiny step closer to Sesshoumaru.

Shadows crossed the sun. A pair of glider like contraptions, with feathers lining the sides, were flown in with two humanoid hanging on to each frame. That may in itself have been impressive if not for the three winged beings flying free, leading the entourage. The contraptions landed first, followed by the two females and finally the winged male snapped his wings and dropped easily to his feet.

Sharp blue eyes met Sesshoumaru's "Our healer Shri Suijin," he said gesturing politely to an extremely beautiful and almost ageless winged female Seprahim on his right, "She will see to Commander Kagura, immediately." the Prince was not one to dally in an emergency.

The healers immediately snapped into action, the Healer Suijin and two of the non-winged Seraphim were led by away by Jinenji. They were in deep discussion before they even left the courtyard. Inuyasha would have followed his hanyou brother, if not for the Demon Lord's hand on his shoulder, holding him in place.

Matters of urgency dealt with, the Demon Lord and the Seraphim Prince stared at each other, coldly. The silence and stillness, made everyone else squirm. Inuyasha was impassive, but inside he had been more than a little bit impressed by the winged beings before him.

Finally the Seraphic Prince, sighed and grinned a toothy grin, "I see time has not done much to melt the icicle up your ass, but it is good to see you Chilly Lord of the West."

"Hmn! Time has yet to instill manners into your graceless mouth, but grace requires intelligence and style, and that is probably asking for too much. However I am interested to know why you were on your way to my doorstep, when the message reached you?" Sesshoumaru asked coldly, he would return the smile once he knew the score.

The grin faded slightly, "We were on our way here because the Circle of the Wise sensed something that should not still exist in this world. It was but an echo of what it was, but it was something that awoke in human lands and very quickly was teleported here. The Circle asked me to check on the mater and advised I bring Sri Suijin and Shri Kaguya with me. They sensed the destruction of the echo just before we got your request for a healer. Am I mistaken to link the destruction of the echo with the good Commanders injury?" The Seraphim asked as he folded his wings, and they disappeared into his back, leaving two small nodules, on each shoulder blade.

"You are not mistaken. It seems we need to pool information, there is a great deal hidden here. Come, Commander Kagura needs to listen in to the discussion, we will continue this after the healing." Sesshoumaru steered Inuyasha out of the Courtyard, the location suddenly seeming too open a place for the discussion.

The Seraphim Prince finally noticed the being held securely by the Demon Lord, "How do we have here, a Mixed blood of the Highest Demon blood. Hah! How Inter..."

One of Sesshoumaru's claws lightly touched the Seraphim's neck. "No!" Sesshoumaru said his voice filled with deadly warning, "I am the only one allowed to find my Hanyou Inuyasha interesting. Understand Kouga?"

Prince Kouga of the Seraphim, had fought against and later beside Lord Sesshoumaru. They were friends, and Kouga knew his friend enough to see how deadly serious he was. This was not a matter to take lightly. Kouga nodded and said seriously, "Understood."

-tbc-

sorry the 4 aspects demanded some air time, I have no idea where that scene came from but it demanded to be written. Hope you enjoyed it.

44,000 words - Getting soooo tired – please review...


	17. The Beginning

Thanks for reviews, happy thanksgiving to the American readers. Sorry no time for more

Read review and enjoy!

**Chapter 17 : The Beginning**

It took no more than a couple of hours for Commander Kagura's shoulder to regenerate, and her blood to be replenished. The session did exhaust all involved in the healing. Thus the situational meeting had been postponed to allow Kagura and the healers to have a small break before serious discussions commenced. Prince Kouga and Lord Sesshoumaru had in the interim conducted negotiations regarding trade and travel between their two peoples. It was a long boring administrative meeting; that ultimately would have longer implications for the peoples of both nations as the interaction between the two increased. Though Inuyasha would have stayed through the meeting, keeping an eye out for danger, Sesshoumaru had felt it best to spare Inuyasha the boring sessions. Jakotsu had escorted the quiet Hanyou to practice.

Currently Inuyasha's lessons as a General Apprentice mainly involved upgrading his fighting ability, once he was more comfortable, he would start learning other things. Inuyasha was quietly looking forward to it.

Inuyasha still found his freedom a concept different from what others perceived freedom to be. He was skilled at was being a watch dog, and was comfortable in that role. He was aware that the Demons were worried about him and were also guarding him so staying put seemed to be the most efficient thing to do. He did not want them to worry about his safety and was determined to be a much better fighter. Hopefully the more he observed, the more he could learn and be more useful to those around him. The freedom that Inuyasha was now relishing was his new freedom to learn, to think and to remember. He did not see the need to act like child unaware of the dangers of the world and test the boundaries of his physical freedom. His freedom to think and just be was for now more then enough.

Bakusen'O had been placed in charge of Inuyasha's lessons. The Hanyou never backed down from anything, he learned at a phenomenal rate not just with his eyes, but with every sense given to him. He was extremely careful to do things right the first time, and never allowed his physical state to interfere. If Bakusen'O did not stop him, Inuyasha would not stop training to eat, rest or even to deal with an injury. Bakusen'O was well aware the absolute disregard the Hanyou had for his physical state came from the treatment the young one had received; and unfortunately only time would heal those kinds of wounds.

It was only after dinner, when the two groups finally met to discuss the situation. Sesshoumaru much preferred the meeting at night as all unnecessary Palace personnel could be dismissed, and the general silence and stillness of the night allowed senses unimpaired by darkness to make careful sweeps of the area.

The meeting consisted only of those of highest security clearance, Lord Sesshoumaru, Bankotsu, Bakusen'O, Commander Kagura, Hachimon and Jinenji from the Demon side and from the Seraphim side only Prince Kouga and the two winged females were present, and of course Inuyasha. Jakotsu and Sango had been placed in charge of security and was patrolling outside the meeting area, thus they were absent from the proceedings.

Bankotsu briefly updated the Seraphim on the events leading up to the destruction of the collar. Then the serious questions began.

"Inuyasha, just before the attack, you were saying something about Manten, what was it?" Bankotsu asked the Hanyou. Sesshoumaru had questioned Inuyasha privately, but this was the first time the others were given the opportunity to address the Hanyou directly.

"There was a feel to Manten that was familiar. A darkness. I have sensed something like that a long time ago in the City of Light, I cannot say what the darkness is, I really don't know. I sensed the Darkness on and off when I was a child. It would just be there one second and gone the next. I had no idea what it was – and as child I just wanted to stay far away from it. It made me.. uncomfortable. Once I was taken to the Temple of Light and the collar placed on me, I could not sense the Darkness anymore, I am uncertain if it was the collar or the temple that blocked the darkness from my senses." Inuyasha's voice was calm and measured, he had thought hard about it after the event, but this was all he could recall.

"So you do not believe the darkness came from the collar?" Commander Kagura said. "I thought perhaps when Sesshoumaru destroyed the collar, what was released found a place in Manten."

Surprisingly it was the winged Seraphim Shri Kaguya that answered. "No, the darkness is not of the collar. We know that. The Circle of the Wise recognized the echo, its source is far more ancient than the collar."

"Hmph, oh just tell them Shri Kaguya. Our wonderful CoW believes that your Mass is an echo from the Jewel of the Four Souls." Kouga piped in.

"Kouga!" Shri Suijin glared at the Prince, "Do not refer to the Circle in that childish manner." Kouga smiled mockingly back, both the Shris rolled their eyes in exasperation, knowing their Prince would continue to do just that. Getting serious again they focused back on the topic, "How could we sense such an echo, the Jewel was lost ages ago. How did the echo turn up in the human city?"

"Well its probably because the Jewel according the Lady Kikyo is there." Bakotsu answered. "Lady Kikyo calmly informed me that the Shiko-no-tama was not an item for tithing when I went to their city."

The stunned looks on the Seraphim faces gave way to absolute concern. The Seraphim had skin of golden tones, and eyes ranging from sky blue to darkest gray. With their wings hidden, the looked very much like tall, light framed beautiful humans. The only other physical characteristic that gave away Seraphim heritage was the light band of down feathers circling the wrists and ankles of all Seraphim. The most ancient of Seraphim who lived to earn the title Shris had a natural glow to their skin, their auras alone rumoured to make people feel better.

"The Jewel has been missing for over five thousand years, and the Lady Kikyo just told you that the Jewel was there?" Shri Kaguya asked in a shocked whisper. That such a disclosure be made so casually was unbelievable. "Is the human truly that ignorant?"

"No, good Shri, whatever else said about Lady Kikyo, he is highly intelligent. The action must have been purposeful. Hmmm... Perhaps she used the name deliberately and awakened the Jewel so that it could use the mirror portal we opened it. That gave the Jewel a way to enter our lands and attack Lord Sesshoumaru." Bakusen'O said considering.

"Damn it! How can that Jewel be in human lands? Was it not lost in the Ice Wall Seas at the very base of our world?" Commander Kagura growled out, hitting the bed she was sitting on. (The meeting was being held in the sick bay, around Kagura's bed.)

"That was five thousand years ago, Commander. I suppose the Jewel must have moved. The better question is what do we do now?" Hachimon asked.

"There is no choice in that. His Majesty, the Demon King has already given the command. We are the front line in this, and we are to destroy the bloody thing before it gains enough energy and ravages the lands once again." Bankotsu said flatly. "Lord Sesshoumaru has been given full authority in this matter."

"Prince Kouga has been given full authority by the Circle of the Wise as well. Their divinations indicated that Prince Kouga and Lord Sesshoumaru were best suited to stop the Jewel at this juncture. If they fail however, the OverKings of all lands will have to get involved to stop the Jewel. The death toll across the Lands at that point will be in the millions. So Prince Kouga, Lord Sesshoumaru DO NOT FAIL!" Shri Kaguya said authoritatively, pressing the importance of their current action.

"Perhaps the Jewel knows Lord Sesshoumaru is a threat and the Mass was a pre-emptive strike. A way to cause political strife and split the Demons from within, only my little Brother exposed it before it could do damage." Jinenji said a his pride in his little brother rather apparent. Inuyasha gave the horse Hanyou a half smile, but had no other reaction.

"No!" Commander Kagura said softly, slowly. "No, Manten did not try to cause political problems, and, think about it... he did do damage, very targeted and intentional damage." Everyone looked ashen at Kagura; realization was dawning on all of them.

"Lord Sesshoumaru was not the target, he never was!" Bankotsu said pacing each word carefully.

"Manten did not involve himself in court gossip. He did not try to turn Demon against Demon. He was obsessed with only one thing. Turning us against the Shiro Inu Hanyou. The Jewel's target and focus was almost solely on Inuyasha!" Kagura finished her eyes on the Hanyou who sat tall and straight. No reaction showed on his face, he stared impassively at a wall, seeming to be ignoring the turn in the conversation.

"I will be the first to admit that Inuyasha is a rather exotic half breed, but do you think that Lady Kikyo is so obsessed with the Hanyou that she would expose the Jewel like that, and order his death?" Kouga asked.

"Hmh!" Sesshoumaru finally spoke, "If not for Inuyasha we would not even have known that Manten was possessed. Perhaps that is why they were after him, Inuyasha has knowledge of the Human Miko's powers, limitations and abilities. Knowledge is power after all and Inuyasha may have knowledge that makes him more of a threat to Lady Kikyo's plans for the Shikon-no-tama then we can currently perceive. Inuyasha what are your thoughts on the matter?"

Kouga's lips twisted in a tiny smile, at the way Sesshoumaru's voice had warmed when he addressed the Hanyou. The Hanyou actually seemed more reserved than Sesshoumaru, at least on the surface. Kouga however was well able to see beneath the surface, the fluctuations of Inuyasha's aura showed that he did respond to the Lord. Something about Inuyasha's aura caught Kouga's eye, and inexplicably the Seraphim Prince found himself looking deeper into the aura than he usually would.

Golden eyes blinked slowly and he faced Lord Sesshoumaru. "I have never even heard of the Shikon-no-tama my Lord. I was never allowed into the inner sanctums of the Temple and never sensed anything like the Mass once I was placed in the collar. Perhaps if I had more information about what the Jewel is my Lord..." Inuyasha said politely.

Bakusen'O could not hide his smile, Inuyasha may never initiate a conversation, but he was always able to ask after something he really wanted to know in the most unassuming of ways. "If I may My Lords." Bakusen'O requested before explaining. The Shikon-no-tama he explained was a jewel that had emerged from the hearts of three individuals at the dawn of civilization on the planet. The first time the three races had met, more that twenty thousand years ago, peace had existed between the three. The story was so old that no record of names existed, that many details had probably been changed and altered with time. Bakusen'O shared the version most favoured by history and facts.

Three thousand years after the first meeting of the three races, three powerful individuals a Seraphim, a Demon and a Human, decided that one race should be deemed superior to the others. They each deemed the other as 'sub-races' and declared themselves the true inheritor of the world.

The Dark three had fanned the fires of hatred and had caused the first war on the planet. Their hatred almost drove all three fledging races to extinction. When all had seemed lost, three other individuals began preaching of peace, began fighting for each other. Finally after two thousand years of war, the Dark three, faced those that sought peace. The Dark three were by far, more powerful, and just when they were about to be killed, the three that called for peace combined and called to the powers of the planet itself to judge. They beseeched the Mother Planet to be the final judge. Was one race to be greater, or were all races equal in the eyes of their mother planet?

The planet had responded to their call and streams of energy covered all six. The planet judged them.

When the light receded the three that fought for peace, slowly rose to their feet. Of the Dark three there was no sign. Instead on the ground where the three has stood, lay a jewel the size of a child's ball. The Jewel pulsed with strange and dark energies, a combination of all the hatred and evil in the hearts of the Dark three. The Jewel whispered its name, Shikon-no-tama and it was believed that a part of the earth energy that mayhap agreed with the Dark Three had joined with them and formed the Jewel. Thus a part of the earth itself was the fourth Soul in the Jewel.

The three that had fought for peace, were deemed the new rulers and were the ultimate ancestors of the OverKings of the Demon, Human and Seraphim lands.

A culmination of evil, the Jewel tended to lend its power to individuals who sought domination and power. Usually involving the death and slaughter of millions before its power could be contained. The last time had been a terrible world war, all three nations their peoples reduced by more than half, had finally combined and overthrown the Jewel's master. The Jewel itself had almost been destroyed, its energy faded to almost nothing, it had been thrown into the Ice Wall Seas in the hope that it would be frozen there forever.

Only the jewel was now in the hands of Lady Kikyo of the Temple of light.

Inuyasha listened carefully, and than shrugged, "My Lords, I have never even heard of a similar tale. However anything I know of the Temple, all that I have experienced, I put at your disposal. I do not know why I am targeted, but if there is any way in which I can assist with information, strength or as bait, I would be honoured to play my part." Inuyasha's voice was so calm when he offered himself as bait, he may as well have been inviting everyone for tea.

Sesshoumaru smiled rather proudly, he reached out and ignoring the observers stroked a velvet ear. "You have the heart of a warrior young Hanyou, brave, loyal and true." Sesshoumaru said gently, his admiration clear in his voice.

Inuyasha's eyes went impossibly wide at those words, his barriers crumbled a little more. He leaned into Lord Sesshoumaru's touch, and all in the room suddenly felt Inuyasha's emotions. Moved by the words, everything in Inuyasha beamed with surprised joy at the heartfelt praise. The brightness of the Hanyou came shinning through and his aura flared and expanded. Before just as quickly, fading beneath the Hanyou's defenses.

The three Seraphim in the room, gasped and leapt to their feet. Jaws gaping they stared at the Hanyou, unable to fully comprehend what they had seen.

-tbc-

Haha, 2 minutes for my class to start – so have to leave you with a cliffie... too bad. Agghhh cant think of a better title! Any mistakes tell.

Please review – any guesses to what is going on? How do you like the plot? Please review.


	18. Blood knows

Officical Nano Word count 48570 words.. wanted to win on this chapter – but could not go on. For reasons

This is a real roller coaster of a chapter

Read Review and enjoy.

**Chapter 18 : Blood knows**

"Its impossible, its absolutely impossible on MORE than one front." Shri Kaguya was saying for the fifteenth time as she paced the healers bay. The three Seraphim had been absolutely irrational for the last five minutes, the demons looked on in bewilderment. It was a treat to watch the Seraphim of such high level have an incoherent breakdown, so the demons stayed silent an just enjoyed the show. Sesshoumaru would have enjoyed it a little bit more if not for the way the three kept staring at his Hanyou. Inuyasha had seemed unmoved by their staring, but Sesshoumaru was not fooled, the young one had flinched inwardly. The Hanyou realizing that his lowering of his internal barrier had sparked the whole Seraphic catatonia, and immediately begun to seal the cracks.

Sesshoumaru was having none of that. Moko-moko had flared, and Inuyasha had found himself wrapped securely in Sesshoumaru's tail, and pulled close to the Demon Lord. Sesshoumaru's sharp eyes had met his, the powerful gaze, had once again pierced through Inuyasha's defenses. The message in the eyes reverberated in Inuyasha, a repeat of the first message Inuyasha had ever received from the Demon Lord. Short, sweet but so very powerful, the message soothed and strengthened simultaneously. The golden eyes, said ...no, the eyes of the Demon Lord gave a two word order "Fight, Hanyou!"

Inuyasha's free hands rested on Moko-moko, feeling the warmth and comfort of the fur. He could not keep hiding who he was, he could not keep retreating behind his barriers, the more he did, the more power he gave to his one time abusers. As soon as the Seraphim had stared at him, he felt that he was wrong to show his aura, wrong to share his emotions, wrong to show he was happy. His punishment for claiming joy had always been the worst. The three aspects laughed, Inuyasha could only smile, his small half smile.

Once, he had been alone, helpless and powerless. A trapped victim. Even then he had carved a sanctuary for himself, he had found a way to save himself.

Now he was no longer alone, no longer powerless, but it would be too easy for his sanctuary to turn into a self made prison. Too easy to make what once had saved him - a crutch - that would destroy his true freedom. Sesshoumaru was reminding him, if he allowed his fears and insecurities to control him, he would be always be a victim. He would never be able to claim his own joy, always hiding his feelings, always afraid to BE him.

Moko moko unwrapped from around Inuyasha. The message given, Sesshoumaru reluctantly leaned away. As much as he hated it the Demon Lord knew some battles had to be won alone.

Inuyasha understood, he sat close, straight and tall. Inuyasha had been a victim of the worst kind, and Inuyasha refused to be a victim any further. Fight, Hanyou!

Inuyasha fought the urge to make his barriers stronger, fought the need to hide. He was who he was, a sum of his past, and if there were those who could not accept him, that was their loss not his. He was Inuyasha and he would never again allow himself to be less than what he was. One day he would grin, one day he would chuckle, and by the Earth Mother, one day, he would laugh, he wanted to hear himself laugh. He fought the need to hide. In his heart he reached out with both hands and grabbed on to his joy! Holding it tight! One day he would LAUGH!

Instead of hardening, the barrier crumbled a little further. Joy bubbled out of the crack. Finally a smile danced across Inuyasha's mouth, a little wider, a litter bigger than before. He felt better, freer somehow. The battle had been won, he glanced at Lord Sesshoumaru the only other being to realize a huge victory had been claimed.

Inuyasha's heartbeat quickened. His Lord, his Alpha, his...

The colorful swearing of Prince Kouga, disrupted the intensely intimate moment. Eye contact was broken and the two focused back on the situation at hand. Inuyasha's face had a rosy glow to it, and Sesshoumaru absently contemplated several recipes for Seraphim stew. How dare they interrupt something so important!

A rueful smile crossed Sesshoumaru's lips, oh it seemed he was the one who had forgotten, they had been discussing something important. Nothing had ever interfered with Sesshoumaru's concentration before, yet the Hanyou did it so easily. Sesshoumaru found it rather refreshing. The battle was won, so no reason for Inuyasha to be so far from him. Moko moko joyously wrapped around his Hanyou's waist once again, the Hanyou's fingers sinking comfortably into the fur. Together they watched the Seraphic Prince and Shri Kaguya pace and curse.

Finally a little irritated by her own prolonged shock, Shri Suijin addressed her comrades, "Alright, that is enough. We have put on enough of a show for the demons, perhaps its time we calm down and explain." Shri Suijin had never seemed un-calm, she had just stood there staring, while the other two had paced and cursed.

As quickly as their strange behavior had begun, the Seraphim were suddenly all seated and fully composed. It seemed that the burst of chaotic behavior was a racial trait among the Seraphim. Usually calm and composed the Seraphim tended to take non-battle related surprises rather poorly. It was probably a natural valve for their emotions, giving them a sense of balance.

All three now stared solemnly at Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru growled softly. Inuyasha found he was suddenly plastered to the Demon Lords side. Moko moko around his waist and the Demon Lord's arm around his shoulders. Inuyasha's first thought was to pull away, but.. but.. it felt good. His Alpha... Inuyasha relaxed at the thought, he leaned his head against the Lord's shoulder guard. He belonged.

The three Seraphim watched the interplay between the Demon and the Hanyou, and then Shri Kaguya said softly, "Inuyasha, please we need to see your aura again, just to confirm, please!"

Inuyasha looked at them, and nodded. He inhaled deeply and allowed his aura to flare. This was his decision, and there were smiles of approval all around the room, that the Hanyou had not sought to ask Lord Sesshoumaru for his permission before acting. They had all been a little concerned that he Hanyou would be overdependent on the Lord, but that did not seem to be the case.

Inuyasha's aura filled the room, pure and strong. It seemed pretty standard to the Demons, but the Seraphim obviously saw more than they did.

"That confirms it," Shri Kaguya said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Amazing!" Kouga whispered, his eyes seemed to drink in the aura and the Hanyou.

"Kouga, you skate on thin ice! Explain NOW!" Sesshoumaru snapped finally getting irritated. "Keep yours eyes off my Inuyasha."

Kouga flashed a grin at Sesshoumaru, a kind of a weird look crossed his face, "Sweet Earth Mother! The universe has a sense of humour!" Kouga suddenly threw his head back and burst out laughing.

Sesshoumaru growled again, the claws on his hand not full of Inuyasha extended threateningly.

"My Lord," Shri Suijin said interrupting the two, "As we all know, Hanyou, half breeds or Cupids are rare, because as a cross between species, they are invariably sterile. Be it human and demon, human and Seraphim or Seraphim and Demon, while we all can mate together, the offspring have never been able to produce children. We had believed a three way cross was impossible." The Seraphim paused and looked at Inuyasha. "Or we believed it was impossible, until today. Your Hanyou has Seraphim blood my Lord. According to his aura, his parents were a human and a half blood Seraphim Demon."

"Seraphim can tell parentage from his aura alone?" Hachimon asked a little inanely, the information had all of them stunned – and it seemed the most neutral – semi intelligent question he could ask.

Shri Kaguya shook her head, "No, we really cannot see parentage so much, not unless we share the same blood. I cannot see his parentage, but I suspect both Shri Sujin and her nephew Prince Kouga can see Inuyasha's bloodlines. You see, the only Seraphim and Shrio Inu Youkai of mixed blood that we know of are the two children of Kouga's brother."

Kouga was wheezing with laugher, finally lifted a head and winked at Inuyasha, "And I think that makes you my impossible to exist, Great grand Nephew!"

The was a flurry of confusion following that statement. Then all of a sudden, Sesshoumaru roared.

He left his Moko moko with Inuyasha, leapt on the Seraphim, and slammed him into the wall. "If he is your blood, how the HELL did you abandon him to the humans! Do you know what they did?"

Kouga stopped laughing and didn't fight as Sesshoumaru slammed him again into the wall. His hand came up and grasped Sesshoumaru's "We did not know Sesshoumaru! I did not know I had a grand nephew – let alone a Great Grand Nephew! My nephew, sure as hell does not know he had a son, if he did, you had better believe that nothing and I mean NOTHING would have kept my nephew from his child."

Sesshoumaru paused. He released the Seraphim and went back to Inuyasha. The Hanyou sat impassive, there was absolutely no emotions on his face, he was tense, and his eyes narrowed on the Seraphim. He did not even acknowledge Sesshoumaru when he sat down beside Inuyasha and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Kouga looked at the clear but flat golden eyes, for once he felt his throat close, and words refused to surface. He glanced at his Aunt.

The Elder Seraphim sighed, "Young ones, Kouga's older brother when he was hardly 500 years old fell in Love with a Shiro Inu Youkai, whom he had saved. Forgive me for not saying their names, but Seraphim do not say aloud the names of those younger than them who have passed the veil. Theirs was a tragic relationship. 3000 years ago, our people were not friendly to each other. They hid their relationship, for she was already promised in marriage. And the two of them ran away. I believe they were happy together, but not 200 years later, my sister received a desperate call for help. She and I, rushed to the island that the young lovers had hidden in. Sickness had struck the Island, Seraphim used to the sickness could fight it off, but to his beloved it was deadly. She was pregnant, making her all the more vulnerable. By the time we reached the Island it was too late. My Nephew had linked his life force to his mates, and they both stayed alive long enough for us to get there. They gave everything to keep alive Twin Cupid children, a boy and a girl. As soon as they were safe in our arms, their parents left this mortal realm together. Kouga was just a year old, not yet weaned, my sister took to the care of all of them.

"Miroku, the little Cupid boy, and his sister were bright sparks in our heart. But some sparks are just not meant to be. Miroku was strong and healthy, his sister was not. She had a wasting disease and lived a little longer than a human's life span, nothing we could do could save her, and she died peacefully, leaving Miroku devastated. Nothing could comfort him. When he was a thousand years old, he left the ancestral homes, and took to traveling. He never stayed in one place for very long. He returned when the war broke out, and fought beside Kouga, and being a Cupid, he wanted peace between our peoples more than anyone. The war hurt his very soul. There were times he would disappear to the human lands to get away from both Seraphim and Demons, from the violence we wrought on each other. But he always came back in a few months as we needed his strength.

"On one of those trips Miroku must have fathered a child. And because he had to return to us, he never would have known that he had a child. Miroku is very, very active, yet he has never fathered a child. We believed he was sterile as all mixed race children are. He believes it." Shri Suijin, began to weep tears rolled down her face. "Inuyasha your grandfather, would never have dared imagine he had a child, if he had known – he never, never would have let anything hurt you. He would have protected you! I swear, he would have protected his son, he would have protected you."

Inuyasha still did not react, he stared silently at the Seraphim, inside all his aspects sat close, silent as well. All eyes were on the Hanyou, no one spoke. Finally Inuyasha said softly, "Can you tell? From my aura can you tell?"

Suijin seemed to wither, Shri Kagoya came to her and held her close. The demons drew closer, just lending their presence. Kouga took a step forward, he knelt before Inuyasha and looked into the golden eyes. Guilt ate at the Prince, he had not seen deep enough, he had only seen the surface, and his initial reaction – was almost – unforgivable. There was nothing funny about the situation. The eyes were strong and wounded, so deeply wounded. And, Kouga knew he was going to add another wound to the young Hanyou's collection.

"Yes, young one." Kouga reacted out and grasped Inuyasha's hand, that Sesshoumaru did not react added to the seriousness of the atmosphere. "From your aura, as close family, I can tell. I am sorry, so very sorry, but your parents, both of them, have crossed the veil, and they crossed the veil a very, very long time ago. I would say just after you were born."

Pup, Yasha and Inu crumpled inside him. The sanctuary shook from their anguish. Inuyasha sat unmoving, moisture gathered in his eyes, but did not fall. His eyes were blank as he stared at the wall. He needed to comfort the others, but he did not know how. He needed to cry, to weep, to mourn, but he did no know how.

Tears spilled down Kouga's cheeks as he saw the devastating in the still slim form, all around the room demons bowed their heads, Jinenji cried on his brother's behalf. Sesshoumaru moved nearer, gently supporting the unresponsive and frozen young Hanyou.

-tbc-

Have to stop here in respect of Inuyasha's family. Review please!


	19. Grief

Some people wanted more clarity on the history so I have expanded on it. Sorry no full lemons yet, just a dash for comfort. A nd Im winning NaNo by the end of this chapter.

So read, review and enjoy.

**Chapter 19 : Grief**

Jinenji sat sadly at the table. They had all watched silently as Sesshoumaru had carried the the silent and listless young Hanyou away after the revelation. For the first time since he recovered Jinenji had seen the silky white ears, flopped down and flat, unresponsive to the sounds around him. His little brother had looked totally unlike his normal self. He had seemed small and frail as he was cradled in Lord Sesshoumaru's arms. Jinenji did not like it not one bit.

Kouga and Shri Suijin had left the room, sick bay to contact Kouga's nephew and get him to the Demon Lands as soon as possible. Having a direct ancestor may help the young one in this time of distress. Jinenji did not envy Kouga's task, telling some one who yearned for a child that that not only had he had a child the child was now dead, was not going to be easy. Jinenji hoped that they could get the Cupid to the palace and at least break the news to him in person.

Jinenji listen carefully as Bakusen'O, Bankotsu, Shri Kaguya and Commander Kagura tried to make Inuyasha's lineage clear in their own minds. Even now there were so many unanswered questions, so much mystery about his little brother. Not contributing much Jinenji listened to the conversation.

"Lets do this in order of the family tree." Shri Kaguya said as she took out some parchment and quill and began to draw out the tree in order. "The OverKings of all nations are the decedents of the three Saviors who defeated the Dark ones."

Banksen'O frowned "We dont have to go that far back, lets start with Inuyasha's Great Great Grand Parents. If you will forgive me for using their names, that will help clarify matters." the tree demon asked politely and Kaguya waved for him to go ahead. "Inuyasha's Great Great Grandfather was OverKing Ayoga Kenshin, he was married to Shri Suijin's older sister Princess Arrissa Kurusaki. Both Ayoga and Arissa, died of natural causes some time ago, after raising four sons."

Bankotsu continued "Hmmm... The current OverKing is the oldest son, and Prince Kouga Kenshin is the youngest. The second son, Prince Tamaho was Inuyasha's Great Grandfather. He mated with Lady Miyaka, she was the oldest daughter of a noble Shiro Inu house. Though it happened before I was born, her elopement to a Seraphim was a huge scandal, because her family were renowned for their hatred of Seraphim. Even now, their family is openly against the efforts to actively trade with the Seraphim, and they really hate Sesshoumaru's guts. I doubt they will even acknowledge Inuyasha is related to them."

"That will be their loss!" Kagura snapped, she had no time for petty families. "We will keep them away from Sesshoumaru's Hanyou." She said firmly.

Kaguya smiled. Bakusen'O nodded and continued with the topic at hand. "So Prince Tamaho and Lady Miyaka mated and had twin Cupid children, Miroku and Michiko. Of that tragic family, only Miroku is still alive today." Bakusen'O sighed, so much death in one lineage.

Kaguya nodded, "Yes, only Miroku survives. Though I doubt even he can remember all his encounters, he must have fathered a child with most likely a human woman at some point. And the woman is either decrepit by now, or dead as well. We cant tell the state of grandparents from Inuyasha's aura, just his parents. That means the first person of three kinds of blood is not actually Inuyasha, but Inuyasha's father."

"Yes, that is the most likely scenario." Bankotsu agreed. "And this is pure speculation, as the biggest unknowns are Inuyasha's actual parents. We have just summarized everything we know about them. We believe Inuyasha's father is the one that is mixed, but we don't even know his name. We have no clue as to Inuyasha's mother's history, nor do we know how Inuyasha managed to end up mistaken for a human, in that blasted city." Bankotsu's fist slammed on the table in frustration. He more than the others had seen how Inuyasha had been treated in the City of the West, and burning the blasted city to the ground would definitely be an improvement.

"How did he get there? He should never have been there!" Jinenji finally said something, tears rolling down his gentle face once again. No one disagreed.

Soft white hair, slid against Sesshoumaru's shudder plate. Sesshoumaru sank onto the sofa, his Hanyou cradled safely in his arms. Inuyasha looked so lost, and Sesshoumaru's heart actually ached at the youth's silent suffering. What was it about the young one that captivated him so?

Sesshoumaru was not really sure, all he knew was that he had never been so enthralled and so excited and satisfied about life as he had been since he had first challenged the young one to live. No one would be allowed to hurt Inuyasha without retribution, and no one was taking Inuyasha away from him. Looking down at the strong face, Sesshoumaru gently stroked Inuyasha's cheek. He may have royal Seraphic blood, but he was most clearly Shiro Inu Hanyou, and Inuyasha had accepted him as his Lord and Alpha. Sesshoumaru had no intention of relinquishing that role to anyone.

Inuyasha whimpered and turned tortured eyes to Sesshoumaru, "Did I kill them? Did they die because I was born?" He looked away and stared at the wall. "I should not have been born.." The words trailed off, said with heartbreaking defeat.

Sesshoumaru jerked Inuyasha's head back up. There were times when patience and gentleness were required This was NOT one of those times.

"Hanyou, you insult your parents! You insult your lineage, you insult the love that your Great Grandparents had for each other when they defied everything for their love. Parents sacrifice, so that their children can LIVE! You are born, the fruit of a great love, between two people in a time the world was full of hate. Do NOT demean that love. You were born of old and powerful bloodlines, do NOT dismiss your heritage." Sesshoumaru said sternly his aura expanding and his eyes snapping authority at Inuyasha.

The young Hanyou stared and blinked, and after a long pause nodded slowly. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry – for a moment – it just seemed too much!" Then a really sad smile washed across Inuyasha's face. "I should be happy to know that much. I always thought it was better if I knew they were no longer alive. I was always so scared, that they were alive and had thrown me in the garbage because I was a Hanyou. But... but, my father was a Hanyou too. They didn't throw me away, they died! I'm a real monster. I thought I would prefer them dead.. but I don't. I don't care if they threw me away, I want them to be alive. I want them to be happy somewhere. Please, please, Oh gods please! I didn't mean it, I'd never meant it. Please! I want them to be alive!" Raw and tortured the words were sobbed out of Inuyasha. His eyes burned and his vision blurred, but still tears could not fall.

Sesshoumaru held Inuyasha close. His arms and moko moko wrapped securely around the shivering frame. He growled comforting, but other wise said nothing. Grief had to be respected, to honor those who came before it, grief had to be experienced. For more than an hour Inuyasha's breathing heaved and he shivered in Sesshoumaru's embrace. Than the reactions began to ease, and the Hanyou curled deeper into the embrace.

After what seemed like forever to Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha raised his head. The haunted look was still in his eyes, but he was no longer overwhelmed by anguish. Inuyasha's eyes looked achingly vulnerable to the Demon Lord. He gently stroked Inuyasha's back, and waited for Inuyasha to speak.

"Am I alone?" Inuyasha asked Sesshoumaru, his honest golden eyes, searching the depths of sharp gold.

"No!" Sesshoumaru responded instantly and firmly. "You are not alone, you belong to my pack now, you belong to me."

"In what capacity?" Inuyasha asked again, his voice searching.

Sesshoumaru sighed, "In what ever capacity you choose. I made a mistake with Yasha - your demon self, I am truly sorry. Yasha is indeed just a child, and I was unforgivably impatient. I will not make that mistake again. I will wait centuries for you. As long as you belong to me, you and not I will decide on your role in my life." Sesshoumaru swore and meant every word. No one, not even he was allowed to abuse the Hanyou any further.

Inuyasha stared into Sesshoumaru's determined globes, and knew the Lord spoke true, he would do no more than he was doing now. Sesshoumaru would hold him, hug him, and do no more, willing to wait for centuries for Inuyasha.

"Yasha and Pup are children. Inu and myself initially aged as humans, now we age with Yasha. I am not a pup My Lord. Can you kiss me please, just once, I need you to kiss me." Inuyasha asked his voice hollow, he needed the sensation of Sesshoumaru's lips on his, he needed some real affirmation that he was not alone.

Slowly, Sesshoumaru bent and claimed the soft lips. At first the kiss was comforting and warm, than Sesshoumaru pulled Inuyasha closer, and the kiss became deeper. Exploring and seducing, Sesshoumaru claimed the lips of the Hanyou as his own. He licked and nipped, and dived into the honeyed depths, monitoring Inuyasha's reactions. When he finally pulled back, Inuyasha almost unconsciously leaned forward, his tongue coming out to lap Sesshoumaru's lips. Loath to losing all contact.

Sesshoumaru still cradling Inuyasha, stood gracefully and made his way to the huge bed. He tried to put Inuyasha down and tuck him in, but Inuyasha refused to release his hold around Sesshoumaru's neck. The Hanyou didn't say anything – he was afraid to ask – he just held on to Sesshoumaru. The Demon Lord smiled and slipped into the bed beside Inuyasha. The Hanyou immediately curled into his arms, and closed his eyes. Sesshoumaru smiled into Inuyasha's hair. His Hanyou was no puppy, and he really could not hide his relief. He would have to wait a little while, perhaps a few weeks. But, now he knew that he would not have to wait centuries either. Sesshoumaru's whole lower body twitched in relief, thank the gods.

He pressed his lips to Inuyasha's forehead, and watched over the young one as he slumbered beside him.

-tbc-

AND I have Official NaNo count of 50169 words! I WIN! *grin 50 k in one MONTH.

Okay I know every likes fast updates, but SURVIVE is slowing down a bit, its not complete, just going to a more human writing schedule. My darling Yuusha from Strength is rather annoyed with me, so the next story that gets updated is that. :D Thank yo all for the reviews and the support in NaNO could not have done it without you.


	20. Pack  family

Man, finally posting after Nano. Eyes closing so Im just gonna say thanks a million for the support in NANo and I love you al dearly.

Read, review and enjoy

**Chapter 20 : Pack – family**

Warmth seeped into the Hanyou, the ice that had filled his veins when he heard of his parents death, slowly began to thaw. The Demon Lord wrapped him in warmth, and Inuyasha could not remember ever feeling like this. It was so good, so strange, he had just confirmed that he had lost everything, but for the first time in his memory he was not alone.

Then his veins froze again, and a new emotion seeped out, stealing the warmth and sealing him in himself. Fear.

Inuyasha was afraid. He had never been so afraid. The emotion creeped out of a dark place inside him that he had forgotten existed. For so damn long he had nothing to lose, NOTHING.

Now there was so much to lose; so much that could be stole from him. Fear coiled around his throat, choking him. When he was captured, when he was collared, all he had to lose was his mind and his life. Now, there was so much more that could be snatched from his desperately grasping hands. So much that could just slip away.

What if he lost the warmth? What if he was left alone again? What if they found out how pathetic he really was, what if they now decided he was worthless? Just a stupid mongrel, not worth the clothes on his back. What if he was thrown away again... could he survive? Could he keep himself sane?

Inuyasha shivered.

Pup, stirred inside him, and Inuyasha sighed. Yes, as long as Pup, Inu and Yasha were alive inside him, he would survive. As long as a part of him lived, he would survive, he would do what he had to do, regardless of the pain and the loss the faced. As he always did, he would face the world and do what he had to do. But he would not like it, he would die inside all over again. He did not want to die like that again.

Inuyasha was getting trapped in his thoughts; lost in his tormenting memories, when his hand was suddenly jerked up. His palm was pressed against a warm chest, the thumping of a powerful heart vibrated through him. His forehead was pressed firmly against Sesshoumaru's collarbone and Sesshoumaru's growl rumbled in the room, resonating through and into Inuyasha.

"What ever your thoughts you will stop at once Hanyou." Sesshoumaru growled, he had noted Inuyasha's withdrawal, the stillness and blankness of his energy that reminded Sesshoumaru of when Inuyasha was collared. "Packs are family, acceptance is forever. Abandoning the pack is not allowed. You will not abandon us Inuyasha, no matter what, I will not allow you to leave us. I will definitely NEVER allow you to leave me my beta. You will not abandon me." Sesshoumaru snarled, his dominant energy rising and swirling around the room.

Inuyasha jerked his head up so fast his brain rattled, his eyes were wide, and Sesshoumaru had to hide the melting of his heart as the Hanyou's eyes was suddenly open and achingly vulnerable, they were so like Pup's. "Me? Abandon you? ME?" Inuyasha choked out his voice hardly a squeak.

"That is what you were contemplating was it not?" Sesshoumaru continued to growl, his pretense of anger had to be perfect, "That is why you were suddenly feeling alone, because you were planning to leave the us, that is the only way you will ever be alone again. Are you planning on abandoning me Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru's scowl was intimidating as he barked out the question.

"No, no, I.. I.. I would never.. never.. bu.. butt... you,.. I, you..." Inuyasha stuttered.

"Yes, You and I, Inuyasha. You are mine and there is no escaping that reality. You all of you are simply that. mine." Sesshoumaru reiterated, as he dragged Inuyasha into his embrace and licked his cheeks to mark the young one further.

Inuyasha shuddered, and once again the ice melted in the heat generated by his Lord. He pressed close and allowed the warmth of the present and future to chase away the icy shadows of the past. They stayed together like that for a long time.

Inuyasha's hand suddenly curled around Sesshoumaru's shoulder as he raised his head to meet the golden eyes, "I..I.. did it again. Thought of my self in that way again. I'm sorry. I think.. I think you need to punish me again." Inuyasha whispered his face raw.

Sesshoumaru frowned for a second, and then a slow smile washed over his face, "Hmn, indeed I shall punish you most throughly." He grasped Inuyasha's chin firmly, and his lips consumed Inuyasha's. The kiss was long, hard, lavishing attention, dominating, energizing and draining at the same time. Earlier Sesshoumaru claimed Inuyasha with words, now he claimed him with a kiss, demanding everything, but giving so much more. When their lips parted, every last bit of the ice had been melted, and Inuyasha lay quivering in Sesshoumaru's arms. His golden eyes reflecting need, vulnerability and confusion in equal parts.

Sesshoumaru petted his Hanyou gently and kissed the tops of the Inuyasha's ears, watching in contented pleasure as the sensitive appendages flicked in response. He was making progress, and being rather proud of himself Sesshoumaru with a self-satisfied air did not take further advantage of the situation. The energy in the room was good as they both mentally prepared themselves to face the day ahead.

_0000_

Seraphim could only use Seraphic mirror portals to teleport, as Demons could only use Demon mirror portals. The mirrors for some strange reason were race specific, they could use the mirrors to communicate, but for some reason they could not understand the mirrors just could not align their magics to make teleportation between species mirrors compatible. Which was why Kouga and crew had come a-winged to Sesshoumaru's palace, and the Demons had to go to the human lands and use their own mirrors to teleport back. Their own mirrors only brought and used with the permission of the City's leaders, it was considered a gross insult to bring a teleport mirror into the city of a different race without express permission.

Mixed race individuals however were exempt from this. They could use the teleportation mirrors of both their ancestry. So it was as Sesshoumaru was melting the Hanyou's fears, Miroku was finally contacted, and he emerged through Sesshoumaru's main teleportation mirror.

The cupid that emerged had long dark hair, he looked very much like a Seraph, the only demon mark he bore, was the golden eyes of the Shiro Inu's and deep purple stripes on his neck and hands. The color of his hair was the main reason his heritage had gone undetected by the Shiro Inu royalty, who would have made a claim on the Cupid if they had been aware of his existence. Miroku was satisfied with his life and had for the most part avoided confrontations with Shiro Inu Youkai, so being summoned to the Western Demon Lands was a real adventure to the Cupid.

He had a jaunty step as he bounced through the portal, his walk was confident and cocky, with a charismatic flourish he made his way to his uncle and grand aunt. As the situation was slowly explained to him, by the uncharacteristically somber Kouga, Miroku's joviality whithered away. The words stole his breathe, his thoughts, his very life. With his nose and senses aware, there was no place for denial, Miroku knew each word was true, and felt the loss like a hot lance though his very heart. His agony consuming, the cupid raised his head and howled. The howl reverberated though the palace, carrying the message of the deepest grief and aching loss with it.

Miroku moaned for the son, he had never know, his heart bled for the loss of one totally unknown but absolutely dear. Miroku scented it before they could continue the story.

In the ground, in the air, in his soul, he suddenly knew, he had a grandson. Between on breath and the next, he went from grief to demanding to see his grandchild.

Everyone nodded. As had been previously discussed, Kouga and Shri Suijin, led a trembling Miroku to Sesshoumaru's private wing. Jinenji was waiting outside the door for them. The reunion between the family was going to be as private as they could possibly make it, only those considered family (and Sesshoumaru) in attendance.

Inuyasha had heard the howls, and his blood had reacted. For the first time Inuyasha felt the call of blood to blood and though he was still ignorant of Miroku's presence, he would have raced towards the howls if not for Sesshoumaru firmly holding him in place. This meeting meant too much for it to be done were prying eyes could see it.

Inuyasha stood next to Sesshoumaru, though he showed no emotions outwardly, inside all his aspects were jiggling in anticipation. Inuyasha DID NOT 'jiggle' ad he found the antics of his aspects incomprehensible he stood there silent and waiting.

The doors opened, and golden eyes met and held. The two were both stunned into stillness, the reality of meeting nothing like their imaginings.

Miroku did not, could not said anything. He was choking, he blinked so that the moisture gathering in his eyes fell rather than obstructing his sight of a being he only in his deepest fantasies hoped existed. A child of his blood, his loins, HIS Grandson. His tears falling, Miroku took a couple of stumbling steps forward, and simply opened his arms out to Inuyasha.

It was the eyes that did it. Miroku's eyes were open and unfettered and they spoke of love and acceptance, of need and blood, and before Inuyasha had even registered what he was doing, he was walking, stumbling towards his grandfather. Miroku moved, and they met each other half way, hugging and holding each other close. The scent of direct blood, of family, strong in their noses, there was no place for questions, no need for answers, for now presence was all that was needed. Presence was enough, and both were infinitely glad that the other was alive and existing in the world. That they had found each other was a miracle that for now did not require questioning.

The questions and answers would come later, for now the two held each other tight. Miroku's tears soaking Inuyasha's tunic. The sight, the smell, the feel of family, it was enough. The two stood there simply basking in their shared presence for a long, long time.

-tbc-

meh! I have to mark papers and attend a workshop for the whole weekend, so be happy there was a post. I missed writing this but I need to work. *sigh! Thanks so much, for reading, reviews will definitely make my mood better and Im sure my students would be most grateful to yoy for that. Thanks for the support. Hugs.


	21. GrandSire

Hi Hi Hi.. Im back on track with Survive. Sorry for the long break bt I wanted to finish the main body of Strength. I have read through and corrected some of the more glaring writing mistakes in the early chapters and that delayed this update a bit. Hehhe I had to reread my self to remember all the nuances.

Anyway thank you all for the patience, and for the support

Read, Review and ENJOY!

Chapter 21 : Grandsire

The grandfather cried, but the young one's tears refused to flow. After the initial fierce hug, stemming from instinct and pure emotion, old learnings re-emerged.

Jinenji and Sesshoumaru could not take their eyes off Inuyasha's hooded face. The mixed breed clenched tight at GrandFather's tunic, but he did not, or more precisely, could not, bring himself to hold someone close. His brows were drawn together tight, his breathing was erratic, and his muscles were rock solid. His eyes, swirling with deep emotion, remained dry. Not a sound escaped his clenched teeth. It was as if there was no external valve for his emotions. As they watched, the initial flush of emotions faded, his face became calmer, or at least, achieved a veneer off calm. Inuyasha, as yet, was still unable to express and appreciate the emotional freedom he now possessed.

To survive he had to internalize everything, and even now, those dark lessons ruled much of how Inuyasha dealt with reality.

Sesshoumaru and Jinenji were both saddened by the young one's recalcitrance. There was some comfort in the fact that a step had been taken on his road to recovery... but the road would be a long one. The two vowed silently that they would one day hear him laugh and enjoy himself; free of the past that sought to coil around Inuyasha and chain him in its barbed and weighted embrace.

Miroku finally noticed that his Grandson had pulled back a little. Inuyasha's eyes were downcast, but the Cupid could read the young one's aura like a book. He tightened his hold on his blood kin as bile rose in his throat, hot and sharp. Miroku wanted to scream, he wanted to howl. A rage like he never experienced before burned through his being. Pain, there was so much pain in his Grandson's aura, so much sorrow. Layers upon crushing layers seemed to lay on the slim shoulders of the young one in his arms. Miroku could not have borne even a quarter of it.

How dared they hurt his blood, HOW DARED THEY! Teeth and claws elongated, his blood boiled. He would crush those who had hurt his Graindchild, grind their bones and bury their ashes. How dared they! He would slaughter them! His demon blood rose. In his entire life time, it had only happened once before, when his twin had passed away. Miroku was losing control of his Youkai.

Inuyasha, feeling the change in energy, tensed further. Gentle hands had turned into claws that dug into Inuyasha's back. His Grandfather was angry. Disappointed? With the euphoria gone was he now to be rejected? Automatically, he braced himself to be hit, expecting nothing else.

The Cupid roared, as Inuyasha was suddenly yanked from his embrace, and another pair of arms caught and held Miroku, pinning his arms to his sides. No, they could not take his blood from him. They could not take his blood from him. He would kill them! Miroku, struggled to break the hold on him, but Kouga held him tight.

The Seraphim had seen this happen when his niece had died. Miroku had gone mad, and destroyed half the wing of the palace. Only the unique and powerful healing abilities of the Seraphim had kept the mortality rate to Zero.. More Seraphim than Kouga cared to count had ended up in the healers bay in that episode. The Seraphim did not intend to allow it to happen again.

Kouga unfurled and spread his golden wings. Almost delicately, he enclosed his nephew in his wings and vibrated a calming aura. Shri Suijin and Shri Kaguya unfurled and spread their wings wide as they stood on either side of Kouga. The two Shri's began to hum a strange and complex melody, the vibrations enhancing Kouga's aura, as the three, working together, slowly brought Miroku back to himself. The growling of the Cupid, grew less and less, and his demonic aura gradually faded. When the Seraphim finally drew their wings back into their bodies, Miroku was slumped against his uncle, sobbing wretchedly.

Sesshoumaru stood with Inuyasha securely in his arms. From the time he had snatched his young one from his maddened GrandSire's embrace, the DaiYoukai had stood by quietly. He watched and waited, absently stroking Inuyasha's neck with his thumb. He would not interfere, he was confident that Prince Kouga could handle his nephew, and Sesshoumaru was relieved when his trust was rewarded.

A part of Sesshoumaru's mind was categorizing and evaluating the event. Inuyasha had different versions of himself. Similarly, the Cupid's rising Youki had made him change almost completely into a rogue demon. Inuyasha's Demon form, Yasha, had a wild energy about him, but he was controlled. Perhaps the Cupid's personality change was a crude form of what Inuyasha had achieved. The rising of Inuyasha's various blood, and what the boy had been through to survive, had refined him into something extraordinary.

Very interesting indeed.

Sesshoumaru, unable to suppress the feeling of pleased possessiveness at his increasingly amazing Beta, dropped a kiss between Inuyasha's ears. The Hanyou blinked at him with his huge golden eyes, and the DaiYoukai silently cursed his need to go slow in order to protect the young one. Then he noticed the blankness in Inuyasha's eyes, the further withdrawal, and Sesshoumaru understood.

"Inuyasha, it is not you with whom he is angry. It is himself. He is angry at his failure to protect you."

"How can he be angry about that?" Inuyasha asked his voice confused, "I mean, he did not even know I was alive? What is there to be angry about? He didn't know, so its not his responsibility." His voice was earnest and firm.

Sesshoumaru's response was a dry and infinitely sad laugh. "Inuyasha, I did not know either, but at times I want to ram my fist through a wall when I think of what you had to live through in that stupid city. Of my failure to save you." Inuyasha was about to protest, but a gentle claw to Inuyasha's lips silenced him. "Little Beta, you have to understand, I am your Alpha and he is your Grandfather. Our knowledge or lack here of is not the issue. Our blood rebukes us, regardless of logic or rationality, We SHOULD HAVE KNOWN! It is as simple as that."

Inuyasha, who had never been protected, never been cared for, did not understand. Still, warmth bloomed in his heart, and the icy fear of being rejected faded. The ice disappeared all together when Miroku, back in control of his Youki, reached out desperately to touch his grandson.

:) :D :0 :( :P

"Your scent is on him," Miroku coldly stated to Sesshoumaru. The young one had gone off to bathe before dinner, and the Cupid had deliberately sought the DaiYoukai out for a private word. "What are your intentions?"

A mobile eyebrow raised, this was not a conversation Sesshoumaru had ever expected to have. It was strangely amusing. "My scent on Inuyuhsa, speaks of my intentions clearly, but if you require verbal confirmation, as his blood elder, I will respect that." The Daiyoukai regally gave a shallow bow and continued. "Seraphim Miroku, let it be known that your grandson, Inuyasha, has accepted me as his Alpha, and he has been claimed as a member of my pack. None will be allowed to take him from this pack." There was a distinct warning tone to Sesshoumaru's voice as he made that last statement. "Further, I am formally courting Inuyasha, with the intention of claiming him as my mate."

Miroku's jaw dropped, he had not expected such a blatant claim from the usually silent and reserved DaiYoukai. "You are serious?"

"Deadly so." The two whispered words cut though the air, the clarity of purpose deadlier than the DaiYoukai's poisoned whip. The words caused an involuntary shiver to run up Miroku's spine. He was caught between rejoicing that Inuyasha had found a pure and powerful protector and despair that he would never have the boy to himself.

"But, you are royalty, third from the throne. Do you not have a responsibility to have a legitimate heir?" Miroku risked a great deal by pressing the issue. Warnings be damned, if Sesshoumaru was misleading his blood, Miroku would take his pup away.

Sesshoumaru's smile was strange on his face, it was a considering amused smile. "Hmn, perhaps fate controls more than we realize." He cast a sideways look at Miroku. "The true heir is my twin sister. Any legitimate child of mine would be a direct contender to the Throne. My sister is mated to my Mother's second son, Kenshin." Sesshoumaru noticed the inquiring look on Miroku's face and decided it was more expedient to explain and build a good relationship with his soon to be in-law.

"My parents had a proper, respectful political mating. After my sister and I were born, they mutually went their own way. Fifty years after we were born, my mother fell in Love with my Father's best friend, a General in our army. On my father's urging they had a child, Kenshin. He is a quiet but determined Demon. Kah, my half brother, informed my Sister that she would mate him when he was five years old. Initially, she was amused, but he meant it and never swayed in his loyalty. When they finally mated and had their first child, I vowed never to allow my blood to split the strength of the Shiro-Inus. Therefore, mating Inuyasha is not only my pleasure, it is perhaps my destiny." There was a quiet satisfaction in Sesshoumaru's voice. Quoting 'destiny' made it all the more difficult for any to challenge his claim on Inuyasha, and when it suited his purpose, he would happily play that card.

Miroku nodded, "Half-sibiling matings among Youkai and Seraphim tend to give powerful pups. You parents are wise." Miroku bowed respectfully.

The doors of the room opened to allow Jeninji and Inuyahsa to enter. Both Sesshoumaru and Miroku simultaneously moved towards the Hanyou. Miroku hesitated and fell back a step. Sesshoumaru wrapped a possessive hand around Inuyasha's arm. The Cupid smiled, and simply touched Inuyasha's wrist. The Alpha relationship trumped his, and he would respect that.

A mischievous smile crossed the Cupid's lips. It was not to say that he was going to let the DaiYoukai totally have his way.

The group moved to join the rest in the dining hall.

:) :P :( :0

They kept the dinner discussion light, Miroku and Kouga both entertained the group with tales of the Seraphim lands. Inuyasha hardly spoke during the meal, his oscillating ears where the only indicator of how fascinated the whole conversation was to him.

Having begun weapons training with BakusenO, Inuyasha was beginning to appreciate how advanced the Demons were in terms of ability and strength as compared to humans. While he was still on alert, the sense of not being totally responsible for the safety of those around him, was slowing allowing the young one to relax and enjoy what was going on around him. He was not the strongest there, and Inuyasha found that truth to be comforting.

Inuyasha just observed the conversation, he did not ask questions, Bankotsu did most of the probing on Inuyasha's behalf. When the meal ended, most stood up in preparation to leave for the night. A quiet question had all of them freezing.

"Do you know anything about my Grandmother?" The words left his tongue, before his training could assert itself. Inuyasha's face flushed bright red, he stared at his clenched fists. He had shocked himself as the question tumbled out. He did not intend to ask, he did not want to impose, but his mouth moved before he could stop it. Unvoiced, consciously unacknowledged, Inuyasha had not realised how much he needed to know.

The pin drop silence that filled the dining area, in response to Inuyasha actually initiating a conversation was intimidating. Inuyasha swallowed saliva, his nerves were screaming, he found himself almost wishing for the emptiness of non-being, instead of the extreme tension he now felt. As no one answered it seemed to him that his spine was twisting and would snap in two,. The room was so silent, he had spoiled the cordial atmosphere. Obviously he had broken a social taboo. He did not know how to fit into these situations, he should just have focused on watch-dogging and kept his silence.

The bangs of his hair brushed the table as he bowed low from his seated position. His voice went raw, and said softly, "Mo…umm.. Inuyasha apologizes for interrupting, I..I.. meant no offense..Please carry on to your rooms." His ears flat on his head, he could only hope they would accept the apology.

This time Miroku who was standing, beat Sesshoumaru to his Grandchild. The Seraphim knelt down beside Inuyasha's chair and only placed a hand on the boy's knee. The young one's aura was tight and contained. Miroku did not hug the boy as he wanted to, because it was clear to him, that Inuyasha was utterly overwhelmed. The reins on his emotions were tightly drawn, and Miroku feared that the rigid form would shatter from any added pressure.

"Inuyasha hearing you ask me a question, made me so happy, I was unable to think for a few moments, let alone respond. Please ask as many questions as you like, you are blood of my blood, the child of my heart. There is nothing more important to me then you. Everything else is an interruption, you are the most important." Miroku's voice was firm and comforting. The Cupid had been deeply concerned with his Grandson's continued silence, for one of his blood to be able to sit silent for more than five minutes, was amazing.

The muscles under the hand resting on his knee, slowly began to loosen and relax. Miroku began humming softly, generating a gentle vibration to help calm Inuyahsa. A single low growl just behind Miroku, was warning from Sesshoumaru that the 'calming' was skirting the edge of accepted behaviour. That much intimacy was only being allowed because of the blood tie between the two. Any further action to modify Inuyasha's mood would be seen by Sesshoumaru as infringing on his duty as Alpha.

Inuyasha, his focus on trying to maintain himself, missed the growl. He inhaled deeply. He lifted his head and faced Miroku straight on. "Alright, please tell me of my GrandMother?" He said simply.

Miroku nodded, heeding the warning he stood and took a seat beside Inuyahsa. The hand moved from the knee to rest of Inuyasha's shoulder.

"As my direct descendant, I can see a great deal more from your aura, than Kouga and the others. So, yes recognized the part of your aura that is your GrandMother, she was an amazing woman, and I suspect that it was her intervention rather than my potency, that led to your father being born." Miroku brushed strands of loose hair away from his face as he spoke, his eyes were nostalgic."

"It was during the period when our peoples were still at war. I fought for the Seraphim, but I hated it, hated the spilling of blood, Sometimes it felt as if I was being torn apart, and I had to leave and hide for awhile." Miroku leaned back in the chair his eyes glazed at the horrors he had witnessed. His sigh was silent as he continued. "I ran to human lands to hide, to get away from Demons and Seraphim alike. There are some human lands which are very accepting of outsiders." Inundated with memories Miroku paused.

"So, we were right in our assumption that you had a child with a human female." Bankotsu cut in when Miroku was silent for a mite too long.

That snapped Miroku out of his thoughts, he gave a dry chuckle, "Good guess, but no, Inuyasha'a Grandmother was not a human."

"The there is a chance she is alive?" Jinenji asked hopefully.

Again Miroku sighed, and he gripped Inuyasha's shoulder in comfort, "No, Im pretty sure tat by now she has died of old age. Her half-sister however had a big family and the surviving family members would probably have some information on Inuyasha's parents. We will need to contact them to get the whole story." Inuyasha's ears perked in interest.

"Inuyasha is not going near human lands." Sesshoumaru snapped.

"Why ever would you need to go to human lands? Kitara's sister was a pure blooded Shiro Inu Youkai." Miroku said casually, his grin was evil as the jaws dropped around the table. "Oh you mean I didn't tell you? The one whom I know is Inuyahsa's Grandmother was a Cupid like myself. The only other Shiro Inu Cupid I met."

The stunned silence was followed by a flurry of protests, mainly because they had investigated and there were no other known Shiro Inu Cupids. Miroku raised a hand and everyone went silent. He crossed his fingers and leaned on the table.

"The reason you do not know her was because, she was an ancient. When I met her she was old, a fulll Shri and her power was impressive. I would not have sought to couple with her, it was she that came searching for me. She and her sister. " Miroku smiled a little cheeky smile at the memory of how the older Cupid had swept him utterly off his feet. "The time we had together was precious to me. Inuyasha," Miroku said squeezing the shoulder once again. "I was not IN love with your GrandMother, but I did love her. She was an amazing women, but she was driven, focused on something that at the time I could not even understand. We had an amazing month together, and then one morning she said she had to leave, hugged me, and walked out of my life." His voice catching at the twinge of regret that pierced him, Miroku paused again.

"Did you find out what was driving her?" Shri Kaguya asked wanting the details.

"Oh yes, I finally figured it out." Miroplu said sardonically, "I found out today when I met my Grandson, she was driven by the need to have a child, she must have found a way to achieve that, and really did not care to share." There was a slight bitterness in the Cupid's voice, If only he had known.

"How is it the royal family is not aware of this?" Kouga suddenly demanded, "She was half Seraphim, a Shri, how is it we have no knowledge of her existence?"

Miroku shrughed, "I did not say anything because she asked me not to. She is unknown to the Seraphim, because her mother was expelled from her family on the pain of death, when it was found that she was consorting with a "sub-race". Her mother, you see. was the rebellious daughter of the Seraphim's Dark One. We both laughed at the fact that her grandfather would be turning in his grave to know his Granddaughter was making out with a direct descendant of the Seraphim responsible for his demise. Her parents went into hiding for many years n the human lands. Kitara was their only child. Her mother died rather young, and though they lived in human lands, her father met and mated a wondering Shiro inu. she lived a happy life with her half siblings in the human lands.. When I visited the area after the war, I had learned that a month after the war ended the whole family had returned to the Shiro Inu capital. I have very little contact with them. I do not know the family's name but Im sure if you search for a family that migrated to Shiro Inu from the Koumani human lands after the war, you will find them."

Even as he finished the tale, BakusenO was already pulling out a mirror to get his people to identify the family.

"Hmn." Sesshoumaru huffed. "So Inuyasha's father was a product of two cupids, no wonder Inuyahsa's blood is strong. His mother therefore must have provided the human blood." Sesshoumaru stated. "You are indeed an interesting being Inuyasha, wholly unique.." The DaiYukai stated as he looked warmly and approvingly at his Hanyou.

Inuyasha felt a strange stirring inside him at the warmth in the golden eyes.

Sesshoumaru stood up, nodding at the audience. "Come, it is late." The DaiYoukai said simply. Immediately, Inuyasha was on his feet and moving towards Sesshoumaru. The Daiyoukai was smugly pleased that Inuyasha had not even nodded or said good bye to his Grandfather, he had moved to follow Sesshoumaru's instructions as soon as they were given.

It was all about the timing.

Miroku watchedd as Sesshoumaru's tail wrapped securely around Inuyasha, just as they were about to leave, the Cupid called out. "Lord Sesshoumaru, I am welcome to spend time to get to know my GrandChild am I not?"

It was all about timing.

Sesshoumaru paused for a millisecond, his smile was patently false as he turned to Miroku and said, "You are Inuyasha's GrandSire of course you are welcome."

"Excellent. I have checked with Commander Kagura. I have been given leave to transform the South West Tower where my Grandson almost met his demise into a home worthy of a Cupid of my status. I wont impose on your coffers too much to make the place warm and welcoming, after all we can't have Inuyasha uncomfortable in any part of my New SECOND home can we?" Miroku's voice fairly bubbled with satisfaction. "Inuyasha, it would honor me, if you could spend some time with me each day and allow me to teach you to harness your Seraphic blood. I'm not sure if you realise it but, like me, you have a great potential to heal."

Sesshoumaru did no growl, it would have destroyed Inuyasha's joy. The Hanyou had a smile on his face, his eyes were bright with the prospect of having his Grandfather close, and maybe learning how to heal. Instead of drop kicking Miroku back to the Seraphim lands, Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth and glared impotently at his smugly grinning soon to be in-law. The Cupid was going to be a pain.

Miroku's grin widened, he always had great timing.

Tbc- 


	22. Nature's gifts

Hi all, I know there seems to be a sudden drought in posts, and updatesm thats because ff. Net is giving problems and we get error message when we try to post. As it is I am not sure if you get update notices so very sorry. So how did I moanage to post/...?

I want to thank ElizzzaBear from the Avathar community fro showing me how to circumvent the technical error she sent this message "I actually found out how to circumvent it! When you get to the error messagepage, in the top address bar replace "property" with "content." Worked for me  
perfectly." Works for me too. Thanks ElizzaBear.

Thanks all for reading and reviewing. I had imagined this to be a short chapter, buttt the characters did not allow it. :3

Read, Review ad enjoy.

**Chapter 22 : Nature's gifts.**

Miroku was driving Sesshoumaru to the brink of turning the bloody Cupid into a pile of steaming goo. It was not that Miroku did anything - too bad. He just STOLE his Inuyasha from him. Hmn, wait a second - that was not just bad, that should be a fate punishable by death. Sesshoumaru scowled in displeasure.

He did not appreciate his Hanyou being in the company of the Cupid for too long. Even if the training with the Cupid was helping Inuyasha relax a little and feel more comfortable with himself, Sesshoumaru was not happy. In the last two days, he had not gone further then kissing his little Hanyou throughly. He loved the kisses, but each kiss left the DaiYoukai hungering for more and more. And Inuyasha was still not ready. Sesshoumaru cursed his own sense of honor.

What was even more annoying was that very soon Inuyasha's other relatives would descend on his palace. Bakusen'O had Identified Inuyasha's Grandmother's family, and while both the sisters had passed on, the oldest daughter was coming to his lands to share information, that, she flatly refused to give over the mirror.

Inuyasha's aunt was suspicious of mirrors, and was therefore coming to his palace the old fashioned way, by land travel. She would arrive in a few days, and as much as Sesshoumaru wanted the information she had, he was irritated. It was one more thing to distract the Hanyou from him.

Sesshoumaru watched as Inuyasha walked with Jinenji through the gardens. He noted that even in the garden Inuyasha overtly did not relax, his stance was protective and watchful. The sharp ears moved constantly, taking in everything around him, his eyes were kept low, his body tense, Inuyasha was the picture of what a good humble watch-dog should be.

Poison seeped from Sesshoumaru's claws into the window frame, dissolving it. Those gods-be-damned bitches, they needed to roast slowly in Hell for what they did to his Inuyasha. Everyone was helping Inuyasha slowly reclaim himself. Jeninji and the Cupid, Sesshoumaru reluctantly acknowledged, were both critical in the process of teaching Inuyasha to integrate and learn the social skills that he had missed on. Sesshoumaru being born into his position, did not even know how to approach the issues. Bankotsu and Bakusen'O were in charge of Inuyasha's training as a General Apprentice, and Sesshoumaru knew better then to interfere with that at this juncture.

His role, was to keep his pup safe and hight and mark his as on of the pack. Sesshoumaru was the only one who could do that, but.. but it was not enough... Sesshoumaru wanted to do more. He wanted to do something unique and spectacular for his little Hanyou, that none of the others thought of doing. Oh yes, he was going to be the one to teach his Inuyasha about the pleasure of sex, Sesshoumaru unconsciously licked his lips at the thought. That, would come later. But he wanted to do something special now.

A gentle breeze wafted through the garden, strands of short silver hair, danced in the wind's embrace. Almost unwillingly, Inuyasha relaxed a little, unable to hold back his enjoyment of being in the sun, in nature. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, he studied the young one intently. He noted the way, as still as he was, Inuyasha would brush against the bushes that he walked past, how the Hanyou seemed to take a deeper breath as he passed by scented flowers. Inuyasha may not look, but it dawned on Sesshoumaru that his Hanyou did enjoy nature. A memory of Pup, in his grass stained clothing flashed in Sesshoumaru's mind's eye, the story of how and where Inuyasha was brought up played in his head.

His usually cool golden eyes, warmed and softened, a satisfied glint entered them. Prefect! He knew what he could give his little one, a gift he was sure all of Inuyasha's intriguing aspects would enjoy.

Sesshoumaru was rather zealously guarded his knowledge of Inuyasha's other aspects. Yes he was sure that the blasted Cupid could give more information on the subject, BUT HE DID NOT WANT TO SHARE!

Sesshoumaru growled, softly. He watched the bloody Cupid, skip – yes actually SKIP out to Inuyasha, who gave a half smile in response. Sesshoumaru could almost feel his heckles rising. That stupid Cupid was such a bad influence on his Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru would have to do his best to limit that influence. Let the blasted GrandSire try, just try to interfere in Sesshoumaru's plans, and he would learn that Sesshoumaru had not won his battles on strength alone. Tactics were an essential ingredient for success.

With a toss of his head, Sesshoumaru leapt off the semi dissolved window pane, drawing everyone's undivided attention to him as he gracefully floated to his chosen one. Inuyasha's eye's brightened when he saw his pack Alpha, a fuller more relaxed smile, pulled at the full lips. Impeccably, Inuyasha relaxed a little more, it was the duty of the Alpha to protect after all. Sesshoumaru, noted the welcome, and the smile that crossed his face was openly smug as he ignored the others and wrapped his arm around Inuyasha's waist. Inuyahsa relaxed a little more.

"Are you done training for the day, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru asked softly, his voice a gentle caress in the puppy ears.

"Yes,t.." Inuyasha began.

"He is supposed to train with me, now!" Miroku cut in quickly. His training schedules had not been fixed with Inuyasha as yet, and the Cupid was trying to make sure that he had more then one session with his Grand son a day.

"I believe you trained with Inuyasha, after the morning meal. That is enough for today." Sesshoumaru said his voice flat. "As luck would have it I am free this evening." Actually he had a few petitioners waiting to see him, but since he had a plan, as far as Sesshoumaru was concerned they would wait – or rot, which ever suited them. "I would like you to accompany me." Sesshoumaru finished his hand absently rubbing Inuyasha's back.

"Of course Lord Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha said without hesitation, his ears perked up. He was going to spend time with his Alpha, a shudder of pure pleasure shot down his spine.

"Where are we.." Miroku began.

Sesshoumaru cut him off. "We are not going anywhere. You and Jinenji are going to spend the next few hours conversing about Seraph and Youkai healing techniques. I am sure there are going to be more mixed bloods, and the two of you need to share as much information as possible on how to heal and care for them." Sesshoumaru's voice dripped satisfaction, as Jeninji was suddenly staring at Miroku as if he was starving and the Cupid was a bale of fresh hay. Tactics. There was nothing like an obessessed healer to keep Miroku locked in the palace and out of his hair. Sesshoumaru did not trust the Cupid to not follow if he was not otherwise occupied. From the eagerness emanating from the horse healer, and the look of dismay on Miroku's face, Sesshoumaru was damned sure his little outing was not going to be crashed.

Satisfied he led Inuyasha away.

They were traveling on a cloud, with Sesshoumaru's Youki blanketing Inuyasha throughly, so that to a curious prober it would seem that Sesshoumaru traveled alone.

The closest Inuyasha had come to flying, was his leaps from building to building. This was nothing like that, Inuyasha sat at Sesshoumaru's feet, staring at the clouds and birds. But, only his enlarged eyes and frantically oscillating ears gave away his excitement. It bothered Sesshoumaru, it bothered him even more that Inuyasha had not asked where they were going. As soon as they got on the cloud and left the safety of the Palace, Inuyasha had recognized how vulnerable they were to attack. He had wordlessly knelt at Sesshoumaru's feet, on guard and alert. Yet, unable to hide his excitement fully.

It dawned on Sesshoumaru, that if anything went wrong, if they were attacked, Inuyasha's healing would be further delayed. The puppy would blame his own excitement for the attack, and he would fall back on his 'training'. Sesshoumaru's Youki took a more dangerous tone to it. Any, who approached, were bombarded with a clear warning, "Stay away or Die!' None would interfere.

They approached the destination and Sesshoumaru not wanting to spoil the surprise ordered softly. "Inuyasha, close you eyes, little one and do not open them until I tell you to." Obediently, Inuyasha's eyes fluttered shut, they would not open until Sesshoumaru gave the word.

Inuyasha felt the cloud touch down to the earth. He was suddenly kneeling on a funny carpet, it felt soft and yet crunchy beneath him. He inhaled, and strange scents filled his senses. He had scented something similar before, but this was so much sharper, so much richer, so extraordinarily delicious. He pulled in a long breathe, it was amazing, it was beyond his ability to categorize such richness. His ears were gathering as much information as possible. The area they were in was silent, unsurprising given the DaiYoukai's sudden landing, and the overwhelming aura that warned others away. (Inuyasha wrapped in the aura – did not really feel it). Still extraordinarily sensitive puppy ears picked up the rustling of the breeze through leaves, the almost silent chirps of insects, the scampering of tiny feet as they run for cover and the murmuring of a brook in the distance.

It... it.. felt like he was in an amazing place. Inuyasha's ears and nose took in as much as he could, but his eyes remained shut and his hands remained on his lap.

Sesshoumaru felt an aching deep in his heart for the young one. How could they have done this to a child and not see themselves as monsters? How could Inuyasha have survived it all and remained so aching pure and untainted? He would free the young one from the bonds that held him so tightly, and this would be the melting of one more chain that yoked the young one's spirit.

"Inuyasha, open your eyes and be free." The DaiYoukai ordered softly, aware of the contradiction, but realizing it was needed.

Golden eyes opened and widened, his hands slipped off his lap and dropped to the earth beside him.

Emerald light flirted through the canopy of green, light and shadows danced around them as the evening sun trekked slowly downwards.

All around them, living pillars of brown rose from the earth, reaching for the heavens, huge branches outstretched giving shade to the weary. Dried leaves and twigs carpeted the ground, cushioning tired feet. Birds peeked out of the high branches, watching the intruders. The scents of wood, of fruit, of fresh mud, health soil, of LIFE wrapped around them. Straight ahead towering above the others was a huge tree. Garlanded with symbols and amulets, the tree stood tall and ancient. It pulsed with the magic of nature herself.

Slowly Inuyasha pushed himself to his feet. He could not believe it. He stood and slowly turned in a circle, there were trees and greens all around him. He could not absorb it all. He had heard of this, hells... almost daily, he had dreamed of this... but he had never dared even hope for it, not once had he consciously wished for it.

He... he .. was in a forest, a real forest. His arms outstretched, his eyes locked on the canopy above him, Inuyasha turned again, in absolute awe.

Sesshoumaru watched silently. He had done good. This was what Inuyasha had needed. The pup, born and trapped in a city, exposed to pruned gardens and cobbled roads, had never experienced nature. And there was something about Inuyasha that screamed of the wild. Of nature at its purest.

And Sesshoumaru was the one giving this gift to Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru was himself awed not by nature, but by how as Inuyasha spun, he could see glimpses of all Inuyasha's aspects flash out. Once circle, his eyes went purple and his hair darkened, and other and his eyes flashed red, his marking suddenly vivid, another circle, and he was shorter, a child. As Inuyasha spun slowly, the other three aspects all flashed out and merged with the Hanyou, it was a unique sight, and Sesshoumaru was privileged to witness it.

Inuyasha finally stopped spinning, he knelt, buried his hand in the soil, bent down and breathed it in. When he finally raised his head, his faces was stained with earth and grass, his eyes sought and found Sesshoumaru. The DaiYoukai's breath caught, Inuyasha was looking at him with eyes brimming with emotions. As Sesshoumaru watched nature returned to the young Hanyou, one of the things that the Human City of the West had stolen from Inuyasha.

The brimming eyes overflowed, and as Inuyasha smiled, tears finally rolled free down his cheeks. "Th...thank you!"

Inuyasha whispered blindly to Sesshoumaru, "Thank you!"

He kicked his shoes off he feet and felt the grass and leaves under his toes. Inuyasha could not focus on Sesshoumaru, something was calling to him. He turned away from his alpha, and on slightly unsteady legs, he walked to the huge tree in the middle. Twice the width and three times the height of the others, the tree itself seemed to beckon, to welcome Inuyasha.

"This is Ginsenboku, Inuyasha, the Tree of Time, said to be the first living thing born on this planet after creation." Sesshoumaru said softly, his words measured to not interrupt the Hanyou's focus. Inuyasha nodded, his hand trembled as he reached out to touch the rough bark. His body shook, and he did not really understand why.

"Lord Sesshoumaru..." Inuyasha's voice was soft, horse, and filled with need. "Please, Lord Sesshoumaru, please.." He could not say what he needed, he needed it so badly, but he could not say it.

Sesshoumaru, understood. "Hush Inuyasha, I will be nearby, nothing will be allowed to hurt or attack you. Take you time." the DaiYoukai's voice was soft and loving, "Moko-moko will keep you warm." The fluff detached from Sesshoumaru, and flowed to Inuyasha draping around his shoulders and back. Sesshoumaru bowed in acknowledgement of the Ancient Tree, and he quietly melted into the woods. To give Inuyasha some precious time alone, the solitude that allows one to absorb the gifts that are offered by nature to those sensitive enough to appreciate them.

Inuyasha leaned against the giant trunk. The presence of the tree soothing him, seeping peace and acceptance into every level of his consciousness. Inuyasha lost track of the time as he was blessed by the Ancient Tree.

Sesshoumaru sat in a different tree, watching from a safe distance. He would make sure Inuyasha was safe, and his tail would keep Inuyasha warm through the night. He smiled gently, the morning was a good enough a time as to return. Sesshoumaru the Lord of the West, played the watch dog that that night, through the long night he guarded and kept his young love warm.

:) :) :X :D

Deep in the bowels of the city, it roared. No, no! The abomination was strengthening. It would not allow this. It had to be destroyed. The abomination should not, could not exist, and yet.. it did. They would destroy it, destroy the abomination before it could pollute the worlds, and destroy all that they had sacrificed so much to create. It could sleep no longer... the abomination had to be destroyed!

-tbc-

Lol came out much longer then I had planned in my head. Apologies to those who expected some sex, a LOT of loving here, that I think is more suited then sex. So am I right? What do you think of the story? Review please.


	23. Dead of Night and Dawn

Oh my goodness, real mixed reaction to no sex, thanks everyone I appreciate the feedback. Anyway lets get into it.

Read, Review and Enjoy

**Chapter 23 : Dead of Night and Dawn**

Power, addictive and sweet. Power, it flooded Kikyo. More power then even she had envisioned. Power she was POWER. The dark power engulfed her, and she took in. As a parched man soaked in fresh spring water, Lady Kikyo immersed herself in the dark addictive power; never even noticing what the power took from her in exchange.

What had once so long ago, begun as a search for strength in order to protect, defend and guide, had slowly been corrupted. It had turned into a need for power for power's sake, and as the years rolled by an almost unquenchable lust for power had developed.

In the darkest hours of the night, as Inuyasha communed with Ginsenboku, another had visited Lady Kikyo's chambers. The long anticipated visitor was joyously welcomed by the priestess. The final twang of conscious, that warned that the creature was anti-thesis to all the light stood for was ignored as she willingly became the vessel of Power.

And the young girl who had once entered the temple with the hope of serving and making the world a better place, was swallowed silently into the Dark.

Lady Kikyo never noticed that what she had hoped to use as a tool, had long since turned the tables on her. It was she that was the true tool.

When the Lady opened her eyes, it was the Shikon-no-Tama that saw the world for the first time after 500 years. The world was not as it should be, it was too placid, too easy. There needed to be strife, there needed to be power, there needed to be a remolding of the world.

War, war! The flowing of blood would cleanse the earth. Show the races the truth.

The truth, that there was no compromise, there was only power. Everything else was illusion, was weakness. There would only be one winner, one Race would emerge from the fires of war as the victor and true inheritor of the world. That race guided by the jewel will then lead the world in the direction it should go. The Shikon would plunge the world to darkness, have the races fight till only one stood supreme.

And the greatest of abominations, the one of mixed blood of all races, had to be erased, forgotten. Its was the worst abomination to the purity of the Shikon's purpose.

That it walked the earth sickened the jewel. The Shikon in dark manipulations had done all it could to weaken the abomination, to show the world why it was wrong. The collar was what the abomination had deserved. Slavery was the only state that the abominations should be allowed to live in. How had things gone so wrong, so fast? Had it missed something? No, it was pure luck and coincidence that had freed the sickening creature, from the rightful place it belonged.

If not for the interference of the wind femoness, the Shikon would have already killed the abomination, weak vessels. Worthless weak vessels. If things had to be done, one needed to do it by one's self. The Shikon was well aware of that truth. Now it would act directly.

She, picked up the Jewel and carefully placed it on a chain. Reverently she placed it around her neck. Bight red light blinded everyone in the temple for the moment. Lady Kikyo's body was surrounded by a bright red Halo, she was complete.. The Shikon-no-tama walked the earth again, and the first target for cleansing would be the Western Demon Lands. The bug would be exterminated before it could spread its sickness further.

**:0 :( :X :6**

Morning dawned and Inuyasha slowly surfaced from the trance like state he had been in. All parts of him had been in complete harmony as he communicated with the tree. They had not spoken in words or images, just feelings and sensations. Inuyasha could not have told you want was discussed, but the end product was that he felt better, felt stronger and some how he felt a little more complete.

However, it had not only been the tree.

Moko moko snug around his shoulders and back, had kept him warm. Inuyasha who had never been protected in his life, who had always, always (even in sleep) been aware of his surroundings. Inuyasha, who had always been alone, vulnerable and a target of malice and hatred, had for the first time in his memory, lost himself in the moment. Not just a moment, but for the whole night.

Inuyasha's eyes went wide, his feelings were confused. How had he managed to rest so well? In fact, as he thought about it, how was he able to rest in the palace so well each night? It was not just Moko moko. Slowly, Inuyasha turned. Unerringly, his eyes went to the tree where at some level he had been aware Lord Sesshoumaru had been. Sesshoumaru was not in sight, but he could feel it, the protection of his Alpha. It had been there. Inuyasha allowed the knowledge to finally come to the surface.

Each night he had slept, because his Alpha had been there, in the room, guarding him. The notion was so foreign to Inuyasha – someone, guarding – HIM... that he just had not been able to comprehend it. On top of everything else, it had been too much to process, so he had ignored it, until now.

Inuyasha looked towards Sesshoumaru, and in a flash the DaiYoukai was before him.

"We can stay longer if you like. I can get us some food. There is no rush Inuyasha, take as much time as you need." Sesshoumaru said gently, as he reached out and gently stroked a puppy ear.

Inuyasha shook his head, his cropped hair bounced in reaction. For the first time, unbidden, he reached out and grasped Sesshoumaru's robes between two fingers, he took a step closer, and leaned forward so that his forehead rested on Sesshoumaru's amour.

"No, I like it here. But I.. I.. like... I like umm.. where I sleep in the palace better." Inuyasha said softly, another realization came to him, and his face went pale, and then red. He slowly looked to, to meet Sesshoumaru's eyes. The eyes that seemed cool and aloof to others, but to Inuyasha who read people with senses far from 'normal' the DaiYoukai had always felt shimmering hot, and after those first days, safe and welcoming. Inuyasha's eyes were huge in his face, there was fear there but a strange kind of hope. "B..but, I like it only because you are there. You.. you are my Alpha, where s my home?" Inuyasha asked because he did not dare be presumptuous, his healing was still too fragile.

The gentle smile gave way to pure possessiveness, Sesshoumaru's eyes burned. One hand wrapped around Inuyasha's hips and butt, pulling the young one close to his heat. The other hand possessively closed around the back of Inuyasha's neck, holding him securely, Sesshoumaru dipped his head to claim the surprised lips.

This kiss was not like the ones that came before.

Beneath the ancient Ginsenboku, as dawn broke on the horizon, Sesshoumaru's kiss was of an Alpha claiming a Beta. The position that Inuyasha was held in, meant that his hands were free and he could fight, but the kiss.. the kiss.. demanded to the opposite. It demanded that the Beta submit his strength to the Alpha, it demanded acceptance, it demanded that the Beta surrender, without condition.

It demanded, but it did not force... and that made all the difference.

He had nothing in his past that compared to this moment, everything that had came before was pain, humiliation and fear. This.. this was giving, comforting and at the same time, hot, so very hot. Inuyasha melted.

He gave in to the demand, his body plait and relaxed. A strange kind of need stirred in him, as he pressed himself closer to Sesshoumaru.

When he felt Inuyasha tremble with heat and need in his arms, when the young one's mouth opened without a hint of resistance, Sesshoumaru deepened the kiss. One hand stayed possessively around Inuyasha's neck, the other intimately traced the strong lines of Inuyasha's back, thighs and butt, claiming it all as his. All that spectacular strength, the aching vulnerability. All that fragility and diamond toughness rolled in one beautiful body. All that delicious taste of Inuyasha. Hot, responsive and utterly addictive, Sesshoumaru wanted it all. Inuyasha's body hardened, as alien desire flooded his system.

Sesshoumaru finally raised his head, noting with satisfaction the bruised and open lips, the flush of desire and the dazed pleasure in Inuyasha's eyes. "Your home, my Inuyasha? Understand it cleary, feel it to your very core. Your home is where ever I am. Where ever we are, your home is in my arms. When I am close beside you, when I am wrapped around you, when I am deep inside you, that Inuyasha, is when you are home." Sesshoumaru's eyes burned with an intensity he could no longer conceal. He would wait if he had to, but he could hide his intention no more.

"Alpha!" Inuyasha said softly, going on instinct alone, he ignored all his 'training' which screamed for him to be passive and do nothing. Inuyasha slipped his hands around Sesshoumaru's chest and hugged. He raised his head, giving himself to his instincts, he licked Sesshoumaru's jaw line. The Daiyoukai shuddered and stood still, monitoring his Beta's reactions. Careful not to touch Sesshoumaru's neck, Inuyasha pressed his lips to Sesshoumaru collar bone. His tongue darting out to capture the essence of his Alpha.

One hand buried loosely in the short hair, Sesshoumaru growled low and powerfully. The vibrations of the growl seemed to pierce though every fiber of the Hanyou. The growl promised protection, and demanded further submission. In response to the growl, Inuyasha did something he had NEVER done with the humans, from the back of his throat he whimpered softly. The pleading whimper signaled his acceptance of his Alpha's protection and domination. His unconditional surrender. Slowly , almost ritualistically, Inuyasha lifted his lips to Sesshoumaru's neck, his body trembling in pleasure, Inuyasha pressed his lips to Sesshoumaru's pulsing Jugular.

Shocks of pleasure ran though Sesshoumaru. None, not his parents, not his sister, and definitively none of his previous lovers had ever had the privilege of touching, let alone kissing his neck. It was a sole privilege of the acknowledged Beta or mate. To allow it before the Beta was claimed and marked was a symbol of the Alpha's absolute trust in the other's loyalty.

His instincts high, Inuyasha knew this, and euphoria flooded him. "Lord Sesshoumaru, Alpha, take me home, please. Take me home."

Sesshoumaru plundered Inuyasha's lips a second time. When the two finally surfaced, Sesshoumaru picked up Inuyasha bridal style, and cuddled him into his embrace. "Home, my Hanyou." The Daiyoukai smiled as the cloud formed and lifted them into the air.

With Inuyasha secure in his embrace Sesshoumaru considered his options. He came to a decision. "Inuyasha, have you had much chance to anticipate pleasure?" he asked softly. The Hanyou didn't have to answer the blank look in response was enough, Inuyasha never expected anything except pain and humiliation. Sesshoumaru pressed a protective kiss to Inuyasha's head, he was a DaiYoukai his control would hold out a few more days (he hoped).

"In that case my Beta, you will be sleeping in my bed, beside me, but we will don nothing more then sleep and play, for a few days." Inuyasha blinked in confusion. Sesshoumaru continued, "I promise you Inuyasha it will be amazing, when I take you as mine completely. Allow it to build young one, savor the anticipation, the teasing, and flirtations. I want you to have a chance to experience it all with me. I want the anticipation of me taking your innocence to blossom and grow, I want to watch you squirm with virginal confusion and need, as I tease and tempt you." Sesshoumaru whispered wickedly in Inuyasha's twitching sensitive ears.

Inuyasha's eyes went wide with horror and sadness, "My Lord, you are mistaken. Pup and Yasha are pure and good." Inuyasha's body even in Sesshoumaru's arms seemed to shrink away, he had forgotten for a moment.. "but..but.. but .. me... My Lord.. I am sorry, I misled you. I am just a dirty Hanyou, I'm not a virgin in any way. I am sorry, Inuyasha is a wh.." The word was bitten off as Sesshoumaru kissed Inuyasha. Hard.

Sesshoumaru's eyes were serious and somber as he held Inuyasha in his gaze, "Foolish Hanyou. Your body was abused, everything was violently taken from you, I KNOW this. But I also know that in spite of what was taken; You, your spirit is pure, untainted. Your body is familiar with pain, but it is very much a virgin to pleasure. It is very innocent to desire, to the heights I intend to take you. I am your Alpha, and I will prove to you, your own innocence Inuyasha. You my Beta, cannot even unconsciously mislead me, it is just not in you. So trust in me Inuyasha, I will lead in this, and I will prove my words true. You will blush and squirm as I court you, your purity of heart will be clear to all who see you. You are my beautiful Beta, and my Love will cleanse you."

Inuyasha looked at Sesshoumaru, his Lord was overwhelming, there was only one thing Inuyasha could do. He leaned into Sesshoumaru's shoulder and relaxed. "Your will, Alpha." He said softly. The gentle kiss on his forehead indicated he had done the right thing. Safe, he watched the clouds fly by around him. The golden light of the dawn sun, sparkled off the clouds and filled Inuyasha with joy. The future seemed bright, and as Sesshoumaru had said an alien anticipation of pleasure began to pulse in Inuyasha veins.

**-tbc-**

OK DONT blame me, this is PURE Sesshy's fault, I had intended to make this a sex scene, but this Sesshy went NO WAY. He wants to tease torment and watch his Inuyasha squirm in pleasure. What is a poor author to do in the face of that kind of deliciousness?

Oh yes, as some have pointed out this Sesshy is real different. Here is what I would imagine Sesshy would be like if he had no issues with Inuyasha and is confident enough in his power to not seek it simply. And the bad guy (not too big a surprise I bet) is exposed. There is a contrast that I hope you could see, Hope you enjoyed it. Please review.


	24. Surrounded

Thanks everyone for the support – **APRIL 16th**_... consider this a present from me to you on my Birthday._ :) I thank you all for reviewing, reading and sharing with me since I joined. You are all wonderful people. *Hugs. The whole first bit, is to make you all feel good on my Birthday. Lol! Hugs! Thanks!

Read, review and Enjoy!

**Chapter 24 : Surrounded**

The pesky bug landed lightly on Sesshoumaru's lower back a second time, and the DaiYoukai engrossed in reports and paperwork absently swatted at it without looking. The light pressure disappeared. Sesshoumaru's forgot about the bug and focused on the task at hand. The faster he got through the paper work the quicker he would be free to join his intriguing Hanyou. Goal clearly in mind the laser focus of Sesshoumaru returned to his task.

Without warning, the bug suddenly landed with a lot of pressure on a sensitive point of Sesshoumaru's spine, the Daiyoukai almost jumped, he finally spun around. There was nothing behind him. He scowled, the servants needed to be flogged for allowing an annoying illusive bug into his private sanctum. Sesshoumaru turned to return to work when a tiny sound caught his ear.

Impossible! It was impossible! Sesshoumaru turned again, he bent slowly and looked at own the front of his desk. The huge potted plant beside the desk created a natural niche that served as a good hiding place. Sesshoumaru blinked in shock.

Sparkling gold, wide eyes gleamed mischievously at him. Both hands cupped around his mouth, Pup, had been suppressing his giggles for so long. When he saw Sesshoumaru's surprised face, laughter exploded from him. He gasped, wheezed and shouted in laughter. He rolled on his back giggling and laughing at his successful prank.

Sesshoumaru tried to be annoyed and failed utterly. The little version of his Hanyou was too cute, as he rolled on the carpet, kicking his heels in mirth and pointing cheekily at Sesshoumaru.

Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru stretched out a palm at Pup. When Pup finally managed to get control, he grasped Sesshoumaru's hand and stood up still giggling.

"Is Inuyasha sleeping then Pup?" Sesshoumaru asked in a gambit to curb the laughter.

'Yup, yup! All sleeping, Pup, wanna come see Lord Alpha… Ooooo Oooo Pup forget. Pup come to say Thank you." Pup straightened up, and bowed low. Since he was still giggling he unbalanced and would have fallen flat on his face if Sesshoumaru had not caught him by the waist. Pup totally unself-conscious giggled some more, and indicated he wanted to be carried.

A little awed Sesshoumaru gingerly picked up the little Hanyou. He was not used to holding children, and the small solid weight against him was… different. Pup's scent was young and fresh, his body solid and warm, and yet light. The strength of the instinct he felt to protect the Pup shocked Sesshoumaru.

The DaiYoukai suddenly had a sharp insight. He could not ever remember picking up his own pups like this. Why had he never done so? Was this what he had missed out on? Sesshoumaru would have considered the question deeper, only Pup's small hands caught the DaiYoukai's cheeks and the Pup pulled his attention back on him.

"I am talking! Lord Alpha!" Pup whinged. "Pup wanna say thank you cause you make Inuyasha feel all nice and warm. Me and Yuusha sleep much when Lord Alpha with Inuyasha buts it goods sleep. No more dark, dark. Cold ice go bye-bye. Inuyasha not tight, not far, far away. Now we is warm, nice, we likes! " Pup's stretched his limited vocabulary, his glowing eyes and beaming smile communicating his happiness with their new circumstances more than the words.

In that instance, Sesshoumaru knew that all his patience had been rewarded. This one moment, made all the gnawing frustration he had been suffering worth it. He had redeemed himself of the mistake he had made with Yuusha. He hugged Pup tight.

"Hmn, Inu does not sleep?" Sesshoumaru asked curiously.

The laughter faded a little from Pup's eyes. He looked away obviously reluctant to answer. "Pup, not sure, Inu keep watch. Inu happy, Inuyasha happy. But Pup donno, Inu is quiet." Pup could not put into words, the human aspect was quiet, and while that aspect was content with the new circumstances, Pup was not certain if Inu was really happy himself.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed at that, he was about to say more, when Pup squirmed to be put down. "Pup say thank you. Pup go home now." Having done what he rose to do, Pup wanted to return to his garden. He had absolutely no desire to meet anyone else, or see anything on his own.

The DaiYoukai tightened his hold. "A minute Pup, please I want to ask a few questions then you can go." Sesshoumaru said quickly. Pup stopped squirming, looked at him, crocked his head and nodded.

"Just now Pup, when you were playing your prank I did not sense your presence at all. How is that?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Cause Pup was hiding of course." Pup beamed, it was one of his special skills. "Pup hides real good. No one cept Inuyasha can find Pup when Pup hides."

The once alien, but now too familiar, feeling of surprise washed through Sesshoumaru, by the Hells, a Pup had been able to actively hide from him, a DaiYoukai… what else could the Pup do. Realization dawned.

"What is your true form Pup?" Sesshoumaru asked softly.

Pup whined, and wiggled to be put down again. Sesshoumaru held him fast. Pup pouted. "Me no likes that. Me likes be like Inuyasha, Inu and Yasha. Me no likes that!"

Sesshoumaru's voice was firm. "Pup, I am your Alpha, I need to know, what is your true form." The Alpha's Youki rose demanding obedience.

Pup whimpered, and squirmed to be put down, Sesshoumaru trusting that the Pup would not run away without answering put Pup on the ground in front of him. Slowly, with obvious reluctance Pup allowed his form to change to a state he rarely used.

Pup's skin darkened to a more tanned golden look, his hair turned a dark rich brown, which curled and waved around his round face. His eyes were sky blue with only flecks of gold in them, soft down circled his wrists and ankles, and on his back were a pair of small juvenile wings. The clearly Seraphim Pup stood there sulking for a moment. "See Pup look funny! Me's no like not looking like Inuyasha."

Pup's true form was of a pure Seraph, and suddenly a great deal was explained. Miroku had assumed Inuyahsa would be a powerful healer, but in truth it was apparent that his Hanyou was only adequate at this. His Seraphic powers were not linked to healing; rather it was linked to transformation and concealment. This had allowed Inuyahsa to maintain a human form when he was also a babe, and explained why Pup of all the aspects remained a child. Inuyasha in order to survive had probably unconsciously channeled most of his Seraphic ability into maintaining the transformation, into hiding himself beneath the collar. That energy drain had stunted the growth of the Seraphic aspect, and at the same time allowed them to preserve their innocence and inner child.

Sesshoumaru tossed the hair of the little one, carefully hiding the awe he felt at the sheer complexity of power and ability locked inside his Beta, "No, you look like you Grandfather like this."

Pup gasped with surprise, his mouth popped open. A huge grin bloomed in his face, even as he transformed back to his preferred form, he waved saying "Bye! Lord Alpha!" and vanished, leaving a rather sheepish looking Inuyasha in his place.

"Umm.. I'm sorry. Hehehehe.. Pup was.." Inuyasha began weakly, only to be silenced when Sesshoumaru took him in his arms and pecked his lips gentle.

"Pup was a pleasure, I am honored by the trust." Sesshoumaru said as he tasted the delicious lips. Yes Pup had been a pleasure, but Inuyahsa was definitely much more interesting, the kiss deepened.

:D :o :P

A light blush coated Inuyasha's cheeks as he came down for dinner. The clothes he wore had all been handpicked by his Alpha, tight in some places and loose in others, they were stitched to stimulate the senses. The loose top shirt hid his body from prying eyes, but the borelo he wore had been laced on by Sesshoumaru himself. The outer flaps hid the lacing beneath, making it seem innocent. The lacing however was pure titillation. They captured his nipples under an intricate lattice or leather and silk. The lacing slid against his skin every time he moved, reminding him of the feel of his Alpha mouth over the cool silk, keeping the nubbins tight and aware.

Inuyasha's claws scrunched against the carpet, it felt good to have his feet bare and unburdened. Shoes only got in his way, the feel of the ground or the earth under his feet was strangely exhilarating. The crotch area of his pants matched the bolero, it was tight black leather, and Inuyasha was well aware of the slide of restrictive leather against his member. It contrasted distractingly with the silky cloth that fell from his upper thighs. He had put the pants on himself, but the silk seemed to retain the memory of Sesshoumaru's hands gliding along his inner thighs.

Inuyasha's body had never felt like this. He had been trained to focus on others, to guard them and ignore his own body's feel and needs. Sesshoumaru was countering that programming, making Inuyasha abandon some of the harsh lessons, making him aware that his body was not just built for pain. Making him aware of the pleasure there was in just being alive. This distracted state of the Hanyou however was directly linked to Sesshoumaru's physical presence. Since he had accepted his place in the pack, the only time Inuyasha allowed himself to relax and be distracted was when Sesshoumaru was relaxed within Inuyasha's sensing range. If not for his Alpha being present no matter the distractions, Inuyasha would have been on alert.

This was his pack, he would not allow anything to hurt his pack in his presence. Inuyasha instinctively realized that it was Sesshoumaru's role and right to protect the pack. If he was on guard while Sesshoumaru relaxed , it would mean that Inuyasha did not trust his Alpha's strength. Inuyasha was unable to insult his chosen Alpha in such a manner. He relaxed almost instinctively in Sesshoumaru's presence. The Hanyou was very sensitive to Sesshoumaru, the slightest battle readiness of the DaiYoukai had the Hanyou snapping to Guard position.

However in Sesshoumaru's absence, as his Beta, Inuyasha's role was more complex. He was the trusted one, and as he saw it his role was to back up his Alpha. Regardless of who else was around, regardless of what activity they were involved in, if the Alpha was not present, Inuyasha was on hyper alert. Inuyasha was aware that while he was not as powerful as some of the Youkai around him, his senses however were more finely tuned to danger. Thus he would allow nothing to escape his vigilance and hurt the pack. It was far, far too precious.

That vigilance was for when Sesshoumaru was not around. Increasingly in Sesshoumaru's presence the only thing Inuyasha seemed to be able to focus on was the heat that rose in his body, when ever his Alpha paid attention to him… which was almost all the time they were in the same room together.

Sesshoumaru glided up to Inuyasha as he entered the room. Some in the room like Sango pretended to politely look away, others like Jinenji looked away with bright red faces, and still others like Kouga made a huge show of actively looking and wolf whistling as the DaiYoukai slipped an arm around Inuyasha's waist and kissed the Hanyou throughly. The Alpha's hands ran possessively around the strong body, and as Sesshoumaru had predicted Inuyasha blushed and trembled in response.

Enslaved and collared, Inuyasha had been paraded naked in front of jeering audiences, his body had been loaned and used – a thing to be whored out, played with and broken. By separating from himself Inuyasha had taught himself to feel nothing, he had accepted that his body was nothing but a tool for others to abuse.

Now... now free to be himself, he felt everything, The care of his Alpha, the individualized dominant attention, and the gentle but persistent heat of Sesshoumaru's touch... was everything. It overwhelmed him, it confused him, and embarrassingly enough - he now felt like a blushing untried virgin. He pressed his face into Sesshoumaru's chest, breathing in the spicy electrical scent of his Alpha into him. He tried to stem the blush, but as Sesshoumaru's fingers glided over his chest, tormenting his over sensitive nipples, he failed utterly.

The Hanyou hiding his face in Sesshoumaru's chest was utterly adorable, and even Miroku could not suppress his smile. The two silvery Inu's, their white and black clothing contrasting sharply with the red of Inuyasha's face, made an admirable sight. The were quite a couple. Miroku silently admitted that because of his past, the pup needed a strong, dominating and yet gentle and loving Alpha. As much as it annoyed Miroku, he privately admitted that Lord Sesshoumaru was what his beloved Grandson needed. That knowledge aside, he still intended to make the DaiYoukai's life errr... interesting. He would keep Sesshoumaru on his toes, that was the role of in-laws after all.

Sesshoumaru's hand drifted lower on Inuyasha's body, Miroku realized that the DaiYoukai had lost track of the audience. Public displays of affection was one thing, but this was getting – erotic. Clearing his throat noisily the Cupid moved in to separate the two.

The palace was in a celebratory mood. Inuyahsa was surrounded by warmth and laughter filled the halls that night.

:/ :X :O :(

The Temple of Light was mobilizing. Strange warriors and beings summoned by the Shikon no Tama were gathering in the City of the West. The Lord of the City had protested when Lady Kikyo had demanded he turn the control of their army over to her, and he had mysteriously fallen ill. His death had been swift but painful, as the sickness melted his insides. The Shikon no Tama in the body of Lady Kikyo took utter command of the City, and the darkness that had festered and lingered in the city, grew and spread, covering everything. The Shikon consolidated its power swiftly, there was no time to waste. It would attack as soon as all was in order, the needed the power of surprise on their side. The Shikon intended to take the Western Demon Lands and destroy the abomination before the Demons were aware that the Jewel and not the foolish human was in power.

Fear, lust for power and complacence had ensured that the priests and priestess of the Temple of Light had no will to resist the Shikon's influence. They quickly embraced the idea that they were superior, that they and only they deserved to rule the world, that all the other races were creatures of darkness and needed to be destroyed. They fought for the 'purity' of the world, it was their task to cleanse the world of the taint left by the inferior races. Many seemed to willingly embrace this 'truth' and the Shikon's power grew.

To the east, Lady Kaede felt the loss of the City of the West. She tried to contact their sister temple and failed, she tried to send Light to the core of the temple. To allow the true light to reach someone's heart but shockingly her Light was repulsed. The Temple itself had fallen. The Shikon had it firmly in its grasp, and the original Light that guided the temple had been expelled. Kaede felt her heart break. Despite all they had done, they had been good people in the Temple. Lady Kaede suddenly realized that over the years something had systematically corrupted them. Something had seemed into the temple of Light and turned it inside out. What ever it was, had won, and now, it controlled the City of the West utterly.

The old Lady's hands clenched, she did not know the details. But she could feel it in her bones, blood was going to be spilled.

Kagome laughed as she called the magics, and felt power as she had never experienced fill her. A spear of energy left her hand and slashed through two traitors that had dared question the orders of their great leader. She left them writing in pain, her voice was cold as she told them to thank the mercy of the light. She walked away from the two bleeding traitors. It was heady, addictive. Her Lady, was pleased with her progresses in controlling this new war like power.

Kagome knelt before Kikyo, and the Lady did indeed praise her. She left the prison chambers satisfied with her work. Kagome's ears did not hear, her eyes did not see, as the Shikon disintegrated and absorbed the life of the two traitors she had spared.

Late that night, Kagome slept in her warm rooms. Deep in sleep, shivers rose from the depths of her heart, from her soul. Unconsciously, her hand slid under her pillow and she clutched desperately at a hank of silverly hair. Hair that she had ruthlessly shaved off the Hanyou's head so long ago. Deep in her heart, buried under the corruption, was the knowledge that what she was now was the opposite of the Light. She was drowning, dying, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Indeed, consciously she was doing all she could to stamp out the last remnants of the Light that still resided deep inside her.

The silky hair warmed her frozen fingers. Tears silently slid down her pale cheeks. Fast asleep, she was freed of the nightmare that was her waking life, "Save me, please, somebody Help me!" She whispered brokenly. The words were consumed by the darkness that surrounded her, by the tomb-like silence of the temple.

-tbc-

Wow... umm hope you like it. I know you all assumed that Kikyo and Kagome were pure evil, they weren't, not in the beginning.. but... they allowed themselves to fall. Kikyo was the one who started it, and Kagome... well think of the Nazi kids that betrayed theyr parents for Hitler, and you have a good grasp of what happened to Kagome.

_Anyway hope you like my birthday offering to you. It not longer cause it IS my birthday and Ive been running around and stuff, RL is pretty good :) And I wanted to give people a reason to feel good on my Birthday. Cheers and hugs._


	25. Disgusting Human

OMG its been a while. Sorry for the long silence, I owe you all an explanation. I have had a recent surgery, and have been feeling well crappy. Recovery is longer then I expected and more painful. So have been totally blocked and in no mood to write. Finally started feeling better, and am getting back in the swing of things. My health is good now in case you are worried,.

Totally not edited, but impatient to post…. So

Read, review and ENJOY

**Chapter 25 : Disgusting Human. **

He gazed at his left misshapen hand. How old has he been the first time they had broken it, ten? Eleven? He was not quite sure. In those years when turning human had made him the target of abuse and lust, he had lost count of the number of times they had broken his bones. His throat dried and burned the nightmare flashes of memories that haunted him, that plagued his hidden thoughts, raked at his brain. The breakings of his bones were nothing compared to the other things they had done to him. The thin frame shuddered as the ghosts howled.

For four years, on the accursed night he gained dominance, he had been their toy, their 'doll' to play with, to use, to break. The scars from that time… the things they had done to his human body… he was – unclean. Inu was strangely grateful to Lady Kikyo, her decree that he be isolated when he was fourteen, had been probably saved his sanity. He hated rising, he hated it!

His twisted fingers twitched. How many times had it been broken. He truly did not know, he had stopped counting after the 50th break. For some strange reason Lady Kagome, had taken great pleasure in breaking the bones of his left hand. It had been so systematically done, his hand had finally healed wrong. Every time he turned human, his hand turned wrong. Only his little finger could straighten properly, the others were bent, unnatural, misshapen - wrong.

Just like he was.

He had tried not to, harder than at any other time in his life, he had tried not to rise. He had tried to stop Inuyasha from turning human, but just like all the other times he had failed. Utterly and miserably failed.

Inu, pulled the cloak tight around his too thin shoulders. At least he had got this much done to protect Inuyasha. He had in the last two hours, gently urged Inuyasha to seek some quiet time and go to the gardens, they has reached this spot just as Inu rose to dominance. Inu had successfully hidden his emotions from his dominant self and the other aspects. He would not allow them to be hurt because of him again, never again. He would take responsibility. He would protect them.

He would make sure his presence did not contaminate the joy that they had found. He would not allow his twisted self, to spoil the new life Inuyasha had begun to build.

As he rose, he had urged Inuyasha to sleep, and the Hanyou trusting in the safety of his Alpha's castle, had slipped into a deep and rejuvenating sleep.

Inu, now dominant, had immediately put the others to sleep as well. He would not allow them to face this. It was his cross, his weakness, and this time, as he should have in the past, he would bear it alone. He would not allow Inuyasha to suffer in his stead, not anymore. The guilt and self disgust at his past weakness ate at him. Yasha turning on him had in his mind confirmed everything he had suspected. It was his fault. Yasha had been right, he was the wrong one, HE was to blame. He re-lived the moment when Yasha's claws had dug into him, seeking to end him. It should have been the final blow, he accepted it. He was wrong, he was the abomination. So he deserved it. He deserved nothing more than that.

There was no hiding from the truth, it was all his fault Inuyasha had suffered.

Unlike the other aspects he was impotent, powerless, pathetic and his crime was so much worse. He infected the most amazing creature in the universe with his poison. On the night he rose… He made Inuyasha weak. He had forced Inuyahsa to face the tortures in the humans' hands because he had been too overwhelmed to face it alone. He had made it possible for them to hurt Inuyasha so damned badly.

It should have been only him, not Inuyasha. He should have faced it alone, but he had been too weak. He should have been stronger, he fucking should have been. Instead he had cowered behind Inuyasha, and in shielding him, Inuyasha had suffered.

In Inu's eyes, Inuyasha only had one fault. Inuyasha saw his human aspect as wise and beautiful. The human knew better. He was a coward, a powerless, deficient being – in truth - worth nothing.

He could do this much. He would make sure he did not spoil it for the rest of them. With the demons he would minimize the damage his presence caused. This time he would protect them.

The hot springs before him stank of rotten eggs. Though the water of this spring, at the far edge the Demon Lord's estates, was said to be therapeutic, the stench kept almost all the Demons and Seraphim alike well away from the pool. Inu did not hesitate, he placed the cloak by the side of the pool, and fully clothed he sank into the murky waters of the sulphuric pool. It was the perfect place to hide, to mark time till the cursed night he rose to dominance passed.

The numerous scars on the human's back and legs seemed to sting and burn. Though they had healed a long time ago, the memory of the kiss of the whip against human skin, of the physical torments, was enough to cause the human pain.

Inu sighed softy, pathetic, he was too pathetic, too feeble for words. The other aspects were amazing, powerful, magical… he was just human. A lousy, stinking, decrepit, crippled human.

He was the weak link in amazing being that is Inuyasha, and the Temple had made him exquisitely aware of how much he had been responsible for weakening and contaminating their protector. The Temple had done one thing right, containing him as a human, isolating him so that others could not hurt Inuyasha in his time of weakness, that was the best course of action. Inu wholeheartedly agreed, he had to be separated from the world so that the other aspects were not damaged when he gained dominance.

He had no doubt the demons would agree. They had to hide his shameful existence.

He could not allow the others to be hurt, never again. He hoped that he could hide long enough so that by the time the demons found out about him, Inuyasha would be too integrated into the pack to be removed or demoted. They would find an appropriate place to confine him, and everything would be as it should be.

Inu looked up at the night sky, it stretched out in an endlessly canopy of stars. So beautiful. Inu wanted to walk in the woods, to feel the various textures of the leaves and the grass under his feet. To run, to jump, to do all the things denied him. But he didn't. He was the only aspect that rose naturally, and he was the only aspect that never wanted to rise again. Given the chance he would never leave the scantuary.

He sat in the hot scalding waters still and silent. He would stay in this stinking water the whole night, allow it to mask his scent. It was enough that he got to see the stars and feel the breeze for a while. No, to not be writing in pain, to not be trembling in fear, to not be cold and uncomfortable, it was more than enough, it was good. It was amazing.

A soft smile stretched across Inu's thin, dry lips. The water was too hot for him to be wholly comfortable, he would probably be boiled and skinned by morning, but that was alright, Inyasha would heal that instantly. No harm done at all.

The human's midnight hair floated around him, he leaned against the rock, tried not to breathe in too deeply, and settled down to wait out the long, lonely night.

:O :X :~

Inu was not sure what disturbed his silent contemplation. In the last three hours, the hot, sulphuric waters had begun to blister and burn his skin, but the human who watched the stars in solitude, had not even noticed. Physical pain was a comfortable cloak to the human.

Very slowly, he gathered himself, muscles tensed for flight. Violet eyes scanned the dark woods surrounding the hot pools. A shadow detached itself from the forest, and stepped out into the faint starlight. Inu's felt his heart sink, fear rose like a tide inside him. His muscles tensed painfully, but he was well aware that there was no hope for flight. His body froze, and he layered the protection on the sanctuary, he would keep them safe, they would know nothing of this.

Golden eyes that missed nothing, stared at the human neck deep in the pool of water.

For long minutes neither moved. The human dropped his gaze to Sesshoumaru's feet, but other than that remained still.

It finally occurred to Sesshoumaru that the human would perhaps stay as he was until day break, and the Demon Lord himself broke the oppressive silence.

"What are you doing here? Why is my Hanyou not in my rooms?" Sesshoumaru asked his voice deliberately calm without inflection. The Demon Lord had missed his Hanyou's presence and had gone searching for him. The light pack markings had led Sesshoumaru straight to the pool. He had been surprised to see his Hanyou in human form lounging in the hot but smelly waters. He would have liked to enjoy a relaxing bath with his Beta. Given his current state of constant semi arousal, he was not pleased at being denied the pleasure of a shared bath.

Inu flinched at those words, his crimes were never ending, now he would be denying his Lord when he rose. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words were heavy they caught in his throat. No! He could not do this! He had to be strong. The human forced down the welling fear, and keeping his voice as steady as possible spoke softly.

"Forgive me my Lord, the fault is solely mine, not Inuyasha's. I cannot stop myself from rising on the night when there is no moon in the sky. Unlike the others, I cannot withdraw until dawn breaks and lifts my curse. Inuyasha and the others will sleep deep on this night, it is my fault alone that you will be deprived of Inuyasha's presence once a month." Inu's voice was dry and steady, he was focusing his all on controlling he fear. Even so he had little control over the damaged nerves of his left hand, and he pushed it behind his back as it shook. He may hide it from the Lord but not from himself, the trembling of his hand marked him for what he was, a weakling and a coward.

Still he would do this for them, he would be brave for the others. Never lifting his head, he rose and walked towards Lord Sesshoumaru. The clothes clung to his skin, weighting him down, his deformed hand tucked behind his back, he inhaled deeply and prepared to make his case.

"So the moonless night is your standard human night." Sesshoumaru stated softly. His calm face hiding his absolute shock. Unlike the other aspects, the human side of Inuyasha looked frail, too thin and tense. That however was not what shocked Sesshoumaru, the blistering of the human's skin from over- exposure to the water, the thick scent of fear in the air, that shocked Sesshoumaru to the core. What in the seven hells was going on?

"Yes, my Lord." Inu all but whispered, he gasped for air, and plunged on. "Inu is Inuyasha's weakness, and the cause of much of his pain. I know, there is no place for humans in the Demon lands, but please do not turn the others away because of me. I am finally strong enough to keep Inuyasha and the others asleep when I rise, if we do this carefully they will never have to know. No one will have to know of Inuyasha's weakness. I was trying to hide it this night." Inu's shoulders slumped, the sound that emerged from Inu's throat was a parody of a laugh. "But it's hardly surprising, I failed."

Thin shoulders squared as Inu faced the Demon Lord. Water dripped off the young, thin face as Inu's lips twisted into what looked to Sesshoumaru like a painful smile. "My Lord, that you can do what I cannot is without doubt. Perhaps this is for the best. Please My Lord, I will submit to whatever you need to do to keep Inuyasha untainted."

It was all Sesshoumaru could do, not to have his jaw hang open, what was his human talking about. Rage filled him at the human's last words. "What or who would dare taint my Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru snapped out.

The human flinched and paled further at the words. "Me!" the word came out in a pained whisper. "My existence taints Inuyasha. I am his weakness; please Lord Sesshoumaru, stop me from hurting him further. On nights I rise, I will accept my punishment, put me in a cell somewhere deep underground, where none can see this weakness. I won't spoil your palace with my stench. I swear, Inuyasha and the others will never know, they are naïve, innocent. So very innocent. It is me that..that.. is dirty, wrong."

Inu finally looked up, and as Inu fought for the innocence of his other aspects, Sesshoumaru could see the same core of strength he had seen in the others shining out of the human. Only the human was much more damaged, this fragile human frame had bore tortures that would have broken many aYoukai. The human was telling him of how, he would take the punishment, how he would hide, would disappear, and his enemies would never know such weakness existed; the feelings that consumed Sesshoumaru at those words were indescribable.

"It is the one thing the Temple had right, I am unclean, contaminated. You don't need to do it for five nights, Inuyasha without me is unsullied. Just on the moonless night, when I rise, to protect the other, I must be contained and isolated." Inu's voice was steady as he proclaimed his own sentence.

The myriad of emotions in the Demon Lord, snapped into one, anger. His eyes narrowed.

"That mockery of a Temple, is right about nothing." He snapped, his hands clenching in anger. Inu saw the movement and tensed, his head hung lower. He did not want more pain, isolation was better, but he would accept his punishment without a whimper.

Sesshoumaru's jaw clenched at the young one's reaction. The fear in the air was so thick. The Demon Lord reached out, and the human froze. Violet eyes wide in his face, fear rose as the powerful Demon closed the space between them.

As one approached a terrified puppy, Sesshoumaru's movements were slow, deliberately and steady. He stooped a foot away from the frozen human frame. He moved his one hand towards the human's gaunt face. His hand was open and relaxed, it did not falter as he ever so slowly, drew nearer

Inu flinched, he lost his train of thought. Gods don't touch me, he wanted to scream, don't touch me! He bit down on the scream as large eyes tracked the movements of the Demon Lord. It focused on the open hand, it was slow, it did not seem to want to hurt him.

Sesshoumaru's movements were so slow, it took more than ten minutes for the long fingers to reach Inu's jaw. The human was silent and tense the whole time, but when skin finally came into contact with skin, the human shuddered, but did not jerk away.

Moko-moko rose, with Inuyasha the fur would have displaced the damp clothes, and wrapped itself around the Hanyou. With Inu, the fur gently settled over the clothes, absorbing and draining the moisture from the cloth, as it moved along his body. Moko-moko gently warming the trembling frame. It curled down Inu's side, in no way trapping or enveloping the human.

When Sesshoumaru finally spoke, it was as if the fifteen minutes of silence had not occurred. "If you were to disappear, I would miss you, and that my precious human would deprive me even more." Sesshoumaru's long fingers delicately traced the Hanyou's jaw, before following the bone structure upwards caressing the thin yet compelling features.

"Silly human, what nonsense do you speak? You are part of my pack, now. That means you belong to me, every aspect of you is mine. You demean me when you say something that is mine is tainted, you insult me, when you call one that is so utterly and completely mine, weak. Do not do so again." Sesshoumaru's voice was gentle but stern, Inuyasha and all his aspects were his, it was that simple. Sesshoumaru cupped the shocked face.

"Understand this my human, you are , till the day you die, that is the one truth you will carry with you. If you feel that your body is tainted, it will be my pleasure to cleanse you completely of any taint on the next moonless night. If you mistakenly believe you are weak, as Alpha it is my duty to help you find your strength, and more my little human, if you feel unwanted, it is my honor and role to show how very needed you are. You are an adult, not a youth or child like the other two. I will not coddle you my precious Inu, I will not allow you to hide. Instead I will claim you, I will show you your strength and I will prove how very wanted you are." Deliberately, seductively Sesshoumaru drew the trembling human to him.

Yes he knew the young one was afraid, yes he knew that he was taking a risk. But to stop trauma one had to sometimes face it. This young human fear touch, he feared sex, Sesshoumaru was going to prove both fears false. There was more to it than that of course, the human had been right, his body had absorbed the abuses, others had touched what was his. Lord Sesshoumaru was not going be denied access to all that was his. Sesshoumaru was deadly serious, at the human's next rising, he would claim the human frame. His lips, his fingers and his seed would cover the human, cleansing him, inside and out. At the human's next rising, Sesshoumaru would make the man scream his name, and forget that anyone but Lord Sesshoumaru had every touched his body.

But this was for the next rising.

Sesshoumaru reached down and grasped the hand Inu hand so desperately tried to hide. Claws that never broke the delicate skin, traced the bones and damaged fingers. Almost with reverence, the Demon Lord placed a kiss on the middle of the Inu's palm, then brought the damaged appendage to his chest.

"these scars you bear, are testament to your strength, to you ability to survive against the odds. Do not demean now by hiding them, wear them proudly as a mark for your valor. My beautiful human." The smile that crossed Sesshoumaru's face was gentle but utterly possessive. Not allowing the human to emerge from his stunned and bemused state. Sesshoumaru lifted Inu into his arms. Cradling him bridal style, the Demon Lord floated into the air.

Before going back to his rooms, Sesshoumaru made a small detour, to the city. Keeping their presence cloaked, Sesshoumaru took the human to section of the city. It was a small section, neat, well maintained and Inu's jaw dropped, the section was full of humans. "This Sesshoumaru miscalculated, we kept the humans away from court as we were concerned their presence may traumatize you. I never imagined that they lack of humans would make you feel as if you had no place in the Demon Lands." Seshoumaru ignored the trembling as he pressed his lips to Inuyasha's forehead. "Since we won the first battle against the Shikon-No-Tama, in the best of our lands, humans live and work beside us. As they do in the best of human and Seraphim lands as well."

Having made his point, the Demon Lord sped back to the castle. He tucked the human into bed, and summoned Jeninji. Once he was certain that Inu's health was seen to, Sesshoumaru rather reluctantly summoned Miroku. As gently as possible, he would drive home the point that Inu would not be isolated.

The three did not sleep that night. They talked and sipped wine and tea, keeping the still scared and nervous human company.

Just before dawn, Sesshoumaru firmly kicked both Jeninji and Miroku out of his rooms, ensuring that it was only his eyes that witnessed the change.

Sleep dazed golden eyes blinked at him. "What did you do?" Inuyasha asked slowly, "Inu feels, better."

Sesshoumaru smirked in response, damn he did good work. "That is between me and my human Inu. You, my Hanyou I have missed." So saying Sesshoumaru drew Inuyasha to him for a long, deep kiss.

-Tbc-

Wel.. well whatcha think? Please review. Pretty please. Poor Inu, he has a huge cross to bear. Please writer in recovery here so please review.


	26. Pieces of the Puzzle

Yes, its been a long time. No Im not dead… but for a moment I was afraid that my drive to write was. But luckily after some searching that took time I managed to find some Phoenix Down and the drive to write has been revived. :D Thank you to all the readers and reviewers who were critical in the search for the legendary potion. I could not have found it without you, so please do continue. (For those who did not understand that, please refer to Final Fantasy games.)

Anyway Im BACK! With a long chapter as offering.

As always : READ, REVIEW and ENJOY!

**Chapter 26**** : Pieces of the puzzle**

Almost the whole palace were crammed into the training area as they observed the fight between Bankotsu and Jakotsu versus Prince Kouga. As much as the Demons hated to accept it Kouga on his own was a match for their Demon generals. Neither side were winning or losing, they were instead putting on an entertaining show of skill to the observers. The audience were thoroughly enjoying themselves cheering, joking, taking bets, and generally having a rather impromptu carnival.

Inuyasha sat in a corner of the training room, his position only allowing him to view the battle from the periphery, if he was noticing the battle at all. The young Hanyou kept his gaze trained to the edges of the training ground. Everyone was focused on the event, therefore Inuyasha focused on protecting those distracted by the fun around them. Miroku and Jeninji cast worried looks at the young one, looks that Inuyasha utterly ignored. The only person who may have gotten the Hanyou to focus on the fight (other then the Lord) was Bakusen'O, his mentor. However as Inuyasha's trainer, the old tree demon had come to understand that it would have been more traumatic for the young one to try to focus on the fight, when his instincts were screaming that all the guards were not paying attention. The training the young one had received in being a guard dog during the formative years of his life may never truly leave him.

The gentle Tree Demon, sighed. Inuyasha's two family members may disapprove, but the horse and the Seraphim would have to grin and accept the realities of the Hanyou's mental schema. With Sesshoumaru stuck somewhere doing paperwork, in the absence of his Alpha, Inuyasha would guard his pack.

Late that night, long after a draw had been declared between the three warriors', Sesshoumaru entered his chambers and was not quite able to hide the rather possessive smile that crossed his lips. His eyes scanned his Inuyasha who was kneeling by the fire his eyes devouring children's scrolls on the history of the lands. The firelight played off his tanned skin and colored his white hair in shades of gold. The young Hanyou looked deliciously edible. Still a tiny sigh escaped Sesshoumaru, the Lord had been thoroughly updated on what had transpired earlier and a realization dawned. With the exception of the bed, Inuyasha never sat on any of the other furniture. Only when explicitly invited to do so would the young one sit on a chair, if not he would simply stand or be found kneeling as he was now.

Sesshoumaru's teeth clenched, the Hanyou made his heart ache. However, he would bear the ache, as he agreed with Bakusen'O; forcing Inuyasha to go against the training that had become second nature to him, would be for their benefit and not the youth's. No matter how much it discomfited them Inuyasha would have to heal at his own pace.

"Alpha, are you just going to stand there?" Inuyasha asked as he put down the scrolls and looked up enquiringly. Sesshoumaru's smile returned, that Inuyasha had noticed his presence was hardly surprising, even he a DaiYoukai could not hide from Inuyasha's nose and senses. Sesshoumaru, Kouga, the Shri's and Bakusen'O had all tried to surprise the Hanyou, but once in his range none had managed to hide or cloak their presence from him.

Sesshoumaru glided next to Inuyasha and cupped the strong jaw. Without saying a word he leaned down, and laid the softest of kisses on Inuyasha's lips. The youth shuddered, his face flushed in desire, and lips parted in need.

"Your body, as a Hanyou has never been taken has it?" Sesshoumaru whispered gently, it had taken his a while to fully grasp the implications of his conversation with Inu. "Inu, feels such excruciating guilt because it was only when your body turned human, you were raped."

Inuyasha frowned in confusion, uncertain of why Sesshoumaru was perusing this line of conversation. "The body does not matter, we are one. Why does that matter?"

Sitting beside Inuyasha on the fur rug Sesshoumaru leaned forward and placed a kiss first on Inuyasha's forehead, and then on his neck. Without hesitation, Inuyasha leaned his head back to allow his Alpha full access to the vulnerable column. "It does not matter at all my delicious little Beta, just making conversation." Sesshoumaru said lightly, hiding the possessive flare of pleasure that burned inside him. The Hanyou's body was his, none had touched it. That little fact may not matter to his Beta, but for him, that little tit-bit literally made his mouth water.

It was time.

Very gently Sesshoumaru pushed Inuyasha's robes off his shoulders, golden eyes, wide and strangely trusting stared unblinking at the Alpha, as the sash was undone and the garment slid to the floor. Sesshoumaru's eyes devoured the proverbial buffet laid out before him. The expanse flesh, toasted to a light golden hue, glistened in the firelight. The ends of Inuyasha's hair, finally beginning to grow, brushed tantalizingly against the firm raspberry nipples, that had hardened in obedient reaction to the Alpha's gaze.

The focal point of Sesshoumaru's gaze was of course the slightly darker column of flesh rising from its pure white cloud. The crown reddened and in Sesshoumaru's eyes it throbbed, beckoning the Demon Lord to taste the scarlet offering. How was the Lord to deny such a dish?

Inuyasha's eyes rolled back, his body arched forward, "Ahhhh!" a shocked cry of desire escaped his lips, as without warning, the heart of his manhood was consumed by liquid warmth. As if it was the only object of note in the universe, Sesshoumaru focused on Inuyasha's cock. His mouth tasted , lapped and sucked, his fingers explored the strong column and the delicious balls that hung heavily beneath. The Lord touched nothing else.

Inuyasha could not even think let alone process what was occurring, His world narrowed in response to the rhythm of pressure and motion set by his Lord. With only his cock receiving attention, the Hanyou could have easily moved away, rejected the touch. But the actual freedom of his limbs, seemed to bind Inuyasha in place more securely then any chain could have done.

Heat pooled in response to the warmth, his entire consciousness tied to the building pressure that held the promise of something tantalizing just out of his reach. Sesshoumaru took the young one deep and hummed.

The tiny vibrations pushed Inuyasha over the edge, his head arched back in a silent scream as his essence poured out, nourishing his Lord.

Before the final throb of pleasure left his being, Inuyasha found himself lifted securely by his Lord. His knees were spread clasping Sesshoumaru's knees between them. His nipples fanned by warm breathe. Inuyasha trembled as he felt Sesshoumaru's fingers coated in his own cum gently work their way inside him. His sigh of pleasure became a muffled scream as the hidden center was found and courted by the long knowing fingers. The hand holding Inuyasha secure, stroked down his back, in a strangely comforting manner.

Inuyasha had never felt so out of control and yet so exquisitely safe and cared for in his life. Without thought, Inuyasha bent to bury his nose in Sesshoumaru's hair. In his first unbidden act of sexual aggression, Inuyasha's lips closed around Sesshoumaru's left ear. His tongue lapped and tasted the tip of the Demon Lord's elfin ears.

None had dared such an act with Sesshoumaru's person in the past, and it proved the final straw that broke the DaiYoukai's control. Uncaring, Sesshoumaru ripped the cloth of his own clothes that separated him from his beta, the suddenly violent move, was in stark contrast to the gentle lowering of the Hanyou onto his ready cock.

Inuyasha trebled, his arms slipped around Sesshoumaru's shoulders, to anchor him to this time, this moment. Surrounded by his Alpha's scent, shielded by the exquisite warmth and nested in the strong embrace; no space, no allowance was given to the past. Nothing was allowed to intrude, as Sesshoumaru claimed Inuyasha's body as his own.

His Alpha was inside him, that realization alone filled Inuyasha with a strange aching kind of joy. His Alpha was inside him, a part of him, he would never be alone again. He belonged. Finally he had a home. Heat burned in his eyes, but still it could not spill over. Instead a foreign sound, a tiny whimper of vulnerability and joy left his lips.

The sound propelled Sesshoumaru into action.

Heat, turned to flame, the Hanyou was burning and melting. He clung to the one driving him insane, as the only harbor of sanity in his existence. Pleasure exploded in Inuyasha, for a moment he felt he was dying and being born at the same time. Nothing else existed but the moment. Inuyasha was unaware of the scream of pleasure that finally left his lips, and left the room echoing with the sound of his release.

The DaiYoukai's much softer cry of pleasure merged with the scream, as his seed was released into the Hanyou's starving frame.

Spent they collapsed in a heap.

A little later, Inuyasha felt himself floating in the air, as he was taken to the warm bed. This time, Sesshoumaru placed the Hanyou on his hands and knees, and very gently staked his claim once again.

The position should have sparked Inuyasha's nightmares and fear, but so focused was the Hanyou on his Alpha, so steeped in pleasure was his mind and heart, there was no room for anything else. Blanketing Inuyasha in his Youki and warmth, Sesshoumaru won the war, that Inuyasha never even realized had been waged. The past was not erased but it would no longer bind the youth so tightly that it choked him, the shackles of the past melted by the generated warmth of that night.

As one, the two Inus slept.

:O :G :P :C

As the sky turned gray, marking the predawn light, emergency horns sounded in the halls of the palace. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha both were on their way to the great hall, the pleasures of the night put aside for immediate concerns. The great mirrors in the hall shimmered. An external unauthorized source was requesting entry.

The live energy of two acknowledged leaders of the city were required to allow a non-planned for entry. Sesshoumaru and Bankoutsu both took their places before the mirror, as they touched the surface, both were immediately aware that Sango had triggered the request. Without wasting a second, the two channeled their energies at the mirror, and the portal opened.

The Kangaroo Demoness, and three other Demons tumbled through. The four were battle scarred and obviously hard pressed. Energy bolts came through the still open portal, a shadow of an enemy emerged attempting to force the portal to remain open. But the well seasoned leaders were two steps ahead. With vicious smiles, they timed their actions perfectly and slammed shut the portal, just before the enemy could get though. Trapping any would be intruders forever in the space between the teleport mirrors.

"Sango, report." Sesshoumaru said shortly as soon as he saw that the demoness was on her feet and seemed in relatively good health.

"Just before we crossed the border of the Western Lands we were attacked my Lord. The beings that attacked us were cloaked, they used energy and elemental weapons. They attacked while we slept and gave off no aura so they took us by surprise. They killed two of the guards in their first attack." Sango's voice was grim, her anger at the enemy apparent. "We were boxed in and pinned down, to escape we had to use the mirrors."

"Who dares attack a delegate bearing Lord Sesshoumaru's colours?" Kagura snapped her eyes flashing with anger.

Sango tensed even further, her grim energy increased, "I honestly cannot say, they were cloaked by a magic I have not come across before. They had no aura, not at all. Their physical bodies were actually blurred, when I looked at them my eyes just could not focus on their features. I have never experienced anything like it before."

"Neither have I." The oldest of the individuals who came though the mirror, a Shiro Inu elderly woman spoke up. Disheveled from the battle and journey, the elderly Inu still gave off calm and collected energy. "I suggest that you Lords and warriors investigate the matter further, as it seems you have a new kind of enemy." The lady looked around and her eyes sought and found the figure of the dog-eared Hanyou. "But, that is your concern for another time." Her eyes racked him over.

She tilted her head, evaluating and accessing. "Looks like you turned out well, Grandchild of my heart sister." The woman said in a matter-of-fact tone, there was a frightening sense of practicality to her tone. She reached out a hand and shook the hand of the quiet Hanyou.

Everyone frowned in disapproval. This was Inuyasha's grandaunt and it seemed to them that Inuyasha had really a poor showing of relatives.

Inuyasha however relaxed.

The hand was warm, the touch short lived. A brief act of respect and acceptance, that suited Inuyasha just fine. A small smile crossed the usually somber face. His grrandaunt was not cold or hard, just amazingly and literally practical. Some would say terrifyingly practical.

Her brisk manner put off others, but Inuyasha focused on the bright intelligent gleam in her eyes, on her scent which was free of pretense, and relaxed. He nodded his head respectfully.

A small smile the echo of Inuyasha's crossed the woman's face. She knew that she would like her new relative probably a great deal better than her current ones.

"Well!" She snapped briskly, "I assume I did not have to be dragged though that horrendous mirror for the sake of standing around and gawking. Nor do I expect that circumstances being as they are, you have the time to play the polite host!" She waved off a statement by someone that they should rest and clean up before the discussion.

"We are all wide awake, so let us get this over with so that you lot can tear the throats out of our enemies in an efficient manner. I am however hungry, so shall we all go for breakfast, and being a woman I can of course tell you the details while I re-energize." Everyone stood as the woman had said 'gawking' as she briskly gestured and began walking with Inuyasha the only one who had not been taken aback by the woman.

Unable to hide his amusement, Sesshoumaru led the way to breakfast. Inuyasha's grandaunt Lady Izayoi had not made a move to get too touchy with his Beta, she kept a respectable distance and he had a feeling would be leaving as soon as it was possible. He suspected that she would keep in touch with Inuyahsa but not get in their way. Now this was a relative of Inuyasha that the DaiYoukai found himself utterly approving of.

Around the breakfast table the Lady Izayoi gave the facts of Inuyahsa's past.

Yes, Inuyasha's grandmother had slept with Miroku to have a child. She had been alone and in hiding from the time of the founding of the Shikon jewel, and she had researched and found a way to finally change that. To have her own child in the last years of her life.

Her son named MidouBan, had looked just like a ShiroInu, but had the advanced powers of a Seraphim. Her could manipulate his energies, conceal and camouflage himself with a skill that they had not seen before. He had been sarcastic but kind, protective and though his abilities were not offensive in nature, he was a fierce fighter. He had stayed with the family until her sister had died and then he had gone off to explore the world. That was the last time she had seen him

The only thing that made MidouBan less than perfect in Lady Izayoi's eyes was that he was too independent. Thus, when he had fallen in love with a human and things had gone so wrong, he had not come to her for help. She had only discovered the story after she had felt his death, felt the sudden emptiness in her heart. Only then had she sought the truth.

:) :( ;D "P

MidouBan in the course of his travels heard of a human town that absolutely hated non-humans. Its roots linked to the Dark one human ancestor the town had barriers and magic to ensure that only pure humans could gain access into the town. Though it took him almost a year of travelling deep into wild country, find the town he did. For MidouBan this was of course the ultimate challenge. He a cupid of mixed Demon and Seraphim blood would live in the town disguised as a human, undetected and accepted for a whole month, and then would rub his achievement into the Town's noses before disappearing.

As with most of his plans the first part went perfectly. It truly had been a challenge but he had managed to manipulate his own aura and energy to be wholly human, and after only three days of testing the barriers, he walked into the human town. He spouted nonsense about how Seraphim had stolen his lands and Demons had eaten his siblings and he had been welcomed and given a small hut to stay in. In the first two weeks MidouBan charmed his way into the town by spouting various tales and lies of how terrible the Demons and Seraphim were. Then of course, as most of his plans did, it all fell apart.

Surrounded by some young men who were supplying him with good ale in exchange for one more tall tale, MidouBan suddenly felt a drop in the temperature of the area, and a rise in nervous tension of the youth around him. They abruptly all stood, made flimsy excuses and almost ran from the area.

"This town is insular enough with you coming and spreading lies and hate about the other races. The outside world cannot be that bad!" MidouBan spun around to see a woman, a trainee Priestess, with deep purple eyes filled with equal parts accusation, disappointment and anger. And all MidouBan's plans fell apart as he fell in love.

The next two weeks were a tumultuous courtship, finally MidouBan told Tohru of his true origins, as even he could not keep up the disguise for much longer. After another round of drama between Tohru and MidouBan she finally admitted that she loved him as well and really wanted to leave the town with him.

The two lovers had snuck out and ran.

They were wed in the wilderness and travelled together heading towards the more civilized parts of their world. Namely to the Demon and Seraphim lands. Unfortunately word, especially when it's bad has a way of travelling and spreading faster then two individuals on foot and in love can travel. The town had soon discovered that their Priestess in training who happened to be the youngest daughter of the Towns leader had run off with the outsider. That angered them. Then the word came of a strange couple, human and cupid, and the anger turned into blind, vengeful and insane rage.

The townsmen organized themselves and sent an elite group of assassins out to hunt and kill the young couple. At first the assassins had been no match for the couple, but then Tohru got pregnant and the balance of power shifted. The couple had been heading for the closest point of safety, the Western Demon Lands, but had been caught by the assassins a week away from the boarder. They were forced to make camp by the beach as Tohru was too close to birthing.

As the assassins had planned they launched their most cowardly and deadly attack after the mother had begun her contractions. The only reason that the story was know is because one of the assassins had been so ashamed of the events that had transpired that a few months later he had returned to the spot of the attack. He made a huge headstone for the couple and carved out the tale into the rock, as a testimony of their bravery and life. Before he himself had committed honorable suicide.

MidouBan had fought bravely, but he was still only one individual. While keeping him occupied, they had attacked Tohru, in spite of her pain, she had managed to use her spiritual powers to deflect the would be lethal attack. She was not killed outright but was badly injured, at her scream of pain, MidouBan had lashed out. The burst of uncontrolled power that came from him destroyed his attackers but left him drained. More assassins were on their way. With no choice, the two had fled on a small boat into the ocean.

:( :w :v :x

"The assassin's tale ended with how, Tohru's father himself had come to the beach and sent a volley of missiles at the tiny boat. His people had cheered as the boat exploded and what they saw as their shame was cleansed by fire. The assassin confessed that all they had done was create more shame, as the one in charge of tracking the two he had grown to greatly respect the couple. He had not been there during that last attack, but he could not live with being associated to it. He, we all, had assumed that the couple and their unborn baby had died." Lady Izayoi had told the tale in a brisk manner. Not elaborating or over sentimentalizing the tale. Still the slight slumping of her shoulders and the tiny quiver in her voice, were evidence of how deeply the telling affected her.

"We all underestimated your parents Inuyasha that somehow you survived is a testament to their strength and the power of their love." She finished her voice going silent. Inuyasha reached out and covered her clasped hands with his own, and that was all that was needed. The two sat silently for a few moments.

Lady Izayoi abruptly shook her head, she patted Inuyasha's comforting hand and stood up. "Alright, I have done what I came to do it is time."

"Um.. time for what Milady?" Miroku asked rather surprised by the change in topic.

"Time for her to leave Grandfather." Inuyasha replied softly, he met his Grandaunt's eyes in complete understanding.

"What? But don't you have questions for us? Don't you want to be with your grand nephew?" Miroku blurted out, a little outraged at her manner.

"Of course I do. But I am not a stupid and blind freeloading, do nothing, individual. I have more sense than to stick around here and be a distraction, when it is rather obvious that something really, really bad is about to happen." Rather regaling she clasped Inuyahsa arm and allowed him to walk her back to the mirror hall. "This is a time for young people, and old farts like myself need to keep out of the way, and stay away from these scuffles, unless of course we are needed to fight. But I trust Lord Sesshoumaru does not need my power to win this battle, so I will use those blasted torture devices known as teleport mirrors and go home now! We are not all annoying empty vessels like you Miroku.'

Miroku made a face at the woman's back, displaying a casual acceptance that spoke of long and close relationship between the two. Still Sesshoumaru smirked as he opened the mirror, he liked this relative of Inuyasha a lot.

The portal opened, Inuyasha was stepping back when Izayoi's hand held him back, "You will come and visit me, yes? Soon?" The lady asked her eyes looking deep into Inuyasha's.

"Whenever I can. Umm.. I am learning to write, I'm not very good at it, but can I practice writing letters to you?" Inuyasha asked shyly.

"Of course, I will correct any mistakes and send them back in my replies. Make sure you practice a lot." Unable to help herself she reached up and placed a warm palm on Inuyasha's cheek. Then she turned and walking into the portal without a backward glance.

Crickets chirped in the silence of the hall.

"Well, I must say Inuyasha, you have such interesting relatives." Jankotsu said with stupefied amusement.

Inuyasha nodded. "Yes, she is such a warm and gentle person. I think I am really lucky to have her." Inuyasha said with all seriousness, the story cleared facts but changed nothing. His parents were still dead, he would process the revelations later, there was after all much to do.

He bowed to the Lords and his Alpha and as his aunt had done he turned and walked towards the training rooms. Since was not seasoned enough to be part of the strategic discussions that was bound to occur now, it was time for his daily lessons.

The Lords seriously bemused looked at each other, after a moment as strange as it seemed helpless laughter echoed in the Great Hall. Inuyasha always managed to surprise them.

-tbc-

Hope you enjoyed. There are now enough clues given to piece the mystery of Inuyasha together, do share if you think you have figured it out. Lol but if too many guess I admit I will change things to keep the story fresh. Hahahahah… Oh I hope the love making scene hit the right notes, I am a wee but concerned about it, so please review.

Oh some may have noticed that i have gotten lazy with my OC's all names are pinched from other manga / anime i like. :)


	27. Claiming

Hi all not dead yet, but utterly failed at Nano due to work and stuff. Too much stuff going on this year. Offering a long chapter as a token of peace.

Please read, review and enjoy.

**Chapter 27 : Claiming**

The Demon Lord was annoyed. Not only had the enemy dared attack a convoy that bore his colours on Demon lands, not only had they hurt and killed some of his people, the enemy was a coward, attacking from the shadows. That such cowardice allowed the enemy to have some freedom, literally sent his blood boiling. Such an insult to the DaiYoukai of the West would not go unanswered.

To cap off all these insults, the bloody enemy had the poor taste to attack at such an inconvenient time, thus stealing away his after first sex morning with his Beta. The abrupt awakening in the morning, while it did not take anything away from the night before, did disrupt Sesshoumaru's morning plans. Sesshoumaru would never be able to get back his first morning after sex with his Beta, and that loss made his ire at the enemy personal.

The Demons moved fast, elite teams of data gathers we sent to the site of the attack. Magical and telephatic seers were contacted to help identify the enemy. Defenses we reviewed and strengthened and the means to strengthen their forces detailed. The inclusion of the Seraphim and even the human forces of the human overking were considered and for the moment shelved until the more information on the enemy could be obtained. Mobilizing armies would be pre-mature. Missives containing details of the attack however was sent out to all the overkings, that the source of the attack was most likely the Shikon-no-Tama did not go unrecognized.

They adjourned to the mirror room, to contact the elderly priestess. The demons were a little surprised at the length of time it took for the priests to contact the elder. She was usually quick to respond to Lord Sesshoumaru, but this time it was unusually long. They were even more surprised when the Priestess finally came into the mirror. The usually jovial priestess was drawn and almost haggard. Worry lines instead of the usual laugh lines spider-webbed from her brown eyes. "Lord Sesshoumaru, please forgive me but I have a great deal to manage with at this time. I will do my best to assist you in any way I can, but time is a luxury and I truly have very little to spare."

"Hmn." Lord Sesshoumaru said softly, "Lady Priestess, in light of your difficulties it is perhaps better that we not involve you in our issues at this juncture. Instead I will offer assistance in case you need any form of support from us."

The elderly woman relaxed a little, "I do appreciate the consideration My Lord Sesshoumaru, however the City of the West is less welcoming to Demon interference then it is to my probing at this time. Similar to your situation I best leave you out of the issue at this time."

Almost all the demon stared at the old woman.

Sesshoumaru let out an exasperated breathe, "Milady it seems that this Sesshoumaru has been premature in his original assurance. Perhaps I should not be surprised that events are crossing, and you are already involved with the city where the Shikon-No-Tama is in residence."

Kaede paled. "By the Light, not that, the world is not ready for that!"

"Whether the world is ready for it or not, the Circle of the Wise is certain the jewel has awakened, and this was confirmed by Lady Kikyo herself when she limited what the Demons could claim as tribute." Kouga interjected.

There was a flurry on the other side of the mirror, as the old woman sagged and the younger priests ran up to give the woman a seat to sit on. Kaede battered them aside but she sat in the chair with relief. Tears filled her eyes, "Goodness, Kikyo… my poor Kikyo.. what have you done." There was long pause as the woman obviously collected herself. Then she straightened up and her gentle features firmed with determination. "My Lord, this information is highly classified and I have to contact the overking before I can speak further. Give me a few minutes." The priestess abruptly cut communications and vanished from the mirror.

Sesshoumaru was a little amused, as the demons around him apprehensively glanced at him. What did they expect him to get angry and throw a tantrum, for being effectively hung up on? Sesshoumaru was not that petty, granted if any of the normal demons had done such a thing, their life spans would be cut short as abruptly as the connection. Lady Kaede however was worthy of respect, and for her to take such action meant that she truly had something of great import to deal with. Thus Lord Sesshoumaru was more amused and impressed by her courage, rather than annoyed.

He however hid his amusement and entertained himself by scowling as if he was annoyed. He did have a reputation to uphold after all. Only Kouga and Bakusen'O were not fooled by Sesshoumaru's semi threatening demeanor.

The silence stretched for about seven minutes and finally the mirror came back to life. Lady Kaede's aged face was almost frighteningly determined. "The overking has empowered me to act. I shall be joining you as soon as possible, Lord Kouga please send a Seraphim team to collect me. In the interim I will inform you that the Temple of the West has fallen under the sway of darkness. It has been cut of totally from the Light, and the envoy we have sent to the City has yet to contact us. There has been some movement in the areas surrounding the city that is definitely worrying. Our recent conversation has confirmed my suspicions that the city has been overrun by great darkness, but I did not even think that it was this serious. We have to deal with this speedily, if we cannot contain this threat at the City of the West, I fear for the future of the current generation."

The Demons and Seraphim nodded in agreement. Kouga used a mirror to send a team of Seraphim located near the human cities to collect the Priestess. Unfortunately other then at the court of the over-king there were no mirrors that contacted human and demon lands. As they were aware of the dangers inherent in too open conversation over the mirrors, the conversation kept to generalities and open communication management. Priestess Kaede rather obviously wanted to prolong the conversation, for no practical reason other than she felt comforted discussing a topic that had burdened her for many a long day. She no longer bore the heavy weight alone, and sharing it with beings she considered equal in terms of power was definitely a relief.

It spoke a great deal of the true respect that lived with the more enlightened of the lands, as though it was not acknowledged the Demons and the Seraphim both, experienced a sense of relief to be able to work together with humans of power in this endeavor. Since the rise of the over-kings those at the front line acknowledged that in battles against the Shikon-no-Tama only a combination of unique strengths of each group stood a chance against the sheer malice of the jewel. Any lingering animosity was put aside as they faced the common foe.

In an almost unsaid agreement, satisfied with the strengthening of the bonds, the leaders smiled and terminated the conversation. There was a great deal that needed to be done.

"You did not tell Priestess Kaede about Inuyasha." Bankotsu stated his tone slightly inquiring.

It was Kouga who responded "No, there is something about Sesshoumaru's Hanyou, he is definitely a target and discussing him in the mirrors would be foolhardy."

"Look, I will be the first to admit that Inuyasha is an amazing Hanyou. However as one who is training him, he is strong but he is not strong enough nor are his abilities unique enough to be a real threat." The General gave his evaluation of the situation without inflection; he was simply stating a fact.

Sesshoumaru nodded in agreement, turning to Miroku he addressed the Cupid, "His demonic power is high enough to make him a potential general in the future, but DaiYoukai he is not. What is the state of his seraphic powers?"

"Inuyasha's ability to tap his Seraphic powers is limited. He connects with his powers easily enough, but at this time his reservoir of Seraphic energy has literally seemed to be drained." Miroku said slowly, not happy to divulge this information, but recognizing the tactical folly of keeping vital information secret.

"You mean that his Seraphic powers are weaker than his demon ones?" Sango interjected in a strangely satisfied tone.

Miroku resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at the demoness, "No my dear Sango, I would actually say that in terms of future potential his demon and Seraph energy is equal. For now however, it is as if his Seraphic powers have been drained, used up. Daily the power is regenerating and increasing inside him, but it will be a few years before his power levels rise to the level they should be at."

"What could have drained Inuyasha's Seraphic energy to that level?" Shri Kaguya asked. In unison they all turned to Lord Sesshoumaru, who for an instant seemed to attempt to look ridiculously innocent. But some things are impossible, especially for DaiYoukais.

Sesshoumaru was almost beaming with pride at his Beta, "My Inuyasha drained his Seraphic powers because that is what he used to create and maintain the barrier deep in himself that kept him sane when they collared him. Now that the collar has been destroyed his reserves are slowly replenishing themselves."

"So his powers are unique but far from an exceptional threat, which bring me back to my original question, why is the Shikon targeting Inuyasha and why did it not simply have him killed when he was trapped in the temple?" Bankotsu reiterated.

The was a pause, not could think of an accurate answer. Finally Shri Suijin broke the silence, "Perhaps we have got It wrong, perhaps it is not the gem, but the one who is influenced by the gem, that chubby priestess that you mentioned, that wants Inuyasha back."

"Hmn, perhaps her greed to have Inuyasha allowed the Shikon-no-Tama a hold on her. That could explain the situation." Kagura agreed.

"That is a likely explanation as any that we are going to get at this juncture. Whatever the case may be, our vigilance must be in destroying the gem and keeping the young one safe." Bakusen'O said firmly.

"Can we really do both?" Shri Kaguya asked softly, earning an almost universal growl from the others. Un-intimidated she scowled back, "This is the Shikon we are dealing with. Hiding from realties of the situation is a luxury we do not have!" She snapped.

"What are you proposing? Using that puppy as bait? Has he not been through enough?" Kagura spoke aghast.

"We will do our best to protect him, but there can be no doubt that no single life here, including my own is more important than the destruction of the Shikon Gem." Kouga said grimly, he eyed the silent Demon Lord as he said those words.

The silence that filled the room was intimidating.

"Hhm!" Sesshoumaru finally broke the silence. "Our Overking has charged the Sesshoumaru with the destruction of the Shikon-no-tama whatever the cost. That is a task we will not fail at." Sesshoumaru rose and gracefully made his way out of the room. Just at the door he turned and looked at the group, "Make no mistake however, that while this Sesshoumaru occupies this world, his Beta's will not be allowed to leave his side."

Sesshoumaru walked with a steady pace down the halls. His aura fairly radiating dissatisfaction, cleared the halls as prudent Youkai avoided their Lord. Sesshoumaru finally reached his destination, the high rafters that allowed him to view the training area. Unerring his eyes were drawn to the white haired youth training diligently with his guards. Inuyasha's hair had grown out a little, reaching just below his shoulders, tight muscles under the simple brown outfit rippled. So young, physically the Hanyou was so young, but the tight way he moved, the quiet strength and the focused looked in his eyes, all belied his age. The weight bore by the thin shoulders was far too heavy.

Sesshoumaru's Youki flared and his eyes flashed a deep red, he would not lie to himself, his Hanyou was in danger. He could almost feel it, the gathering dark at the edge of his vision. To him it seemed as if his bright little puppy was surrounded by a growing vortex of malice. What did they want from him? Why were they targeting his Hanyou? There were no clear answers. Sesshoumaru suddenly relaxed, a feral smile crossed his lips. Yes, there was a great deal that he did not know, but there was one thing that he did know. One thing we had no doubt about. Inuyasha was his Beta, and he was Inuyasha's Alpha. They belonged together, none would take his Hanyou from him, not even death.

Inuyasha's day was grueling. He was progressing, getting stronger and faster. To stretch his abilities like this felt good. Last night had been amazing, and meeting his Aunt had filled a small part of his soul. He felt fresh and right, he was still aware of his surroundings and monitoring everything. But, it was more than just a good day for him, it was great. His step was a little lighter as we walked through the halls. A small smile stretched across his lips.

Servants and guards noticing this rare sight quietly called out to others, and heads popped out to just have a glimpse of the small smile. This was the first time that any of the normal members of the court had seen anything but the blank considering look on the young one's face. The look was captivating, charming, and charismatic; the overt charisma of his Seraphim grandfather was finally beginning to show. The Demons were able to appreciate that it was not the suffering or strength of the young one that had captivated their lord, it was the whole package. Guards and servants nodded in satisfaction, the Hanyou was a welcome addition to their court.

Inuyasha was aware of the unusual level of activity around him, but he sensed no threat, and therefore paid it no mind. The oblivious Inu Hanyou never realized the cause of the stirring within the walls was none but himself. As Inuyasha hardly looked at the faces of those around him, he missed the approving smiles and nods of satisfaction aimed in his direction.

Inuyasha was a little surprised when he senses Sesshoumaru's presence in the bedroom. His step quickened as he walked into the rooms. He faltered and stopped his eyes going wide as he entered the room to see his Alpha standing before the fire place, his Youki radiating energy.

"Strip." The quiet word reverberated in the room as the door closed firmly shut behind Inuyasha. The golden gaze of the dominant Youkai held Inuyasha's eyes as the Hanyou without hesitation slowly slid the clothes off his body.

Sesshoumaru's eyes glowed with possession and need. "Seduce me, Inuyasha, come to me. Show me that you trust me." Sesshoumaru whispered the words they were as much an order as they was a plea.

Inuyasha's eyes widened even further, and his face flushed bright red. He had never initiated, he had never done this. Suddenly he was conscious of his body, and he felt ridiculously shy. His hands moved to cover himself, when soft spoken words stopped him. "Do you not desire me Inuyasha? Does a part of you reject what occurred last night?" The question was filled with a strange kind of fear, a resigned sadness that tore at Inuyasha. He was shaking his head in denial before the last word was whispered. "Then show me, my Beta. Show me that you desire your Alpha's touch."

His blush spreading to his whole body, Inuyasha squared his shoulders and glided forward. This was embarrassing, Sesshoumaru had promised to make Inuyasha feel virginal, and that is exactly what he felt. He was conscious of his naked flesh on display, of the rush of blood in his veins, of the heat and the hardening of his body. He was ridiculously conscious of everything, this was something he had never experienced, and he wanted it. He hungered for it. His Alpha, his.

His hands trembled slightly as his finger tips rested on Sesshoumaru's chest, slowly he glided them up. His lips quivered as they parted in silent invitation. He wanted to encircle Sesshoumaru's neck… but he couldn't, instead he curled his hands on Sesshoumaru's shoulders and leaned his head back, exposing his neck offering himself. Sesshoumaru waited, he did not move. Inuyahsa finally closed the distance between their bodies, he pressed his hips into the fully clothed Daiyoukai. Sesshoumaru's hands came to rest on his hips, but no pressure was placed. The touch was comforting, waiting, the heat the DaiYoukai radiated was a sharp contrast to the touch.

Inuyasha wanted the touch to mirror the heat, he tried to move his hips in silent invitation, but the comforting hands confounded that action. Sesshoumaru was actually limiting Inuyasha's movements. The Daiyoukai wanted something else.

Inuyasha's hands clutched harder, his upper body moved enticingly. More he wanted much more. Sesshoumaru was frustrating still. Finally unable to bare it, Inuyasha finally came forward and his lips sought Sesshoumaru's. The DaiYoukai's lips parted immediately, and the kiss was all that Inuyasha dreamed it would be delicious, hot and welcoming. After a while Inuyasha felt something was wrong. Sesshoumaru welcomed Inuyasha but was passive in the embrace. It was not enough, Inuyasha wanted, no, he needed his Alpha's active participation. He tried to press closer, but the traitorous hands on his hips actually held his body away from Sesshoumaru. Frustration rose like a tide in the Hanyou, he was hot, so damned hot. He mewled in distress, his actions becoming more demanding. Still Sesshoumaru only responded, holding him away.

Finally Inuyasha pulled away, his nipples and his cock were flush and hard, his eyes wide and glassy with desire, and his lips wet and full. He gazed into his Alpha's eyes, "Please Alpha, I need you, please."

That was what the DaiYoukai had been waiting for. Words that he was confident none had ever heard from the young Hanyou. Words that the Hanyou used so sparingly. Words that freed the Hanyou to be, and at the same time bound his Beta to him. Bending the beautiful body over his arm, Sesshoumaru claimed the pouting lips in a hot long kiss.

He lifted Inuyasha in his arms, and carried him to the bed. His clothes were quickly removed as he slid his hair across Inuyasha's frame, causing the Hanyou to arch with unconscious sensuality.

"Tell me!" Sesshoumaru demanded as he pressed his lips to the crown of Inuyasha's cock, immediately liquid pebbled out an offering that was lapped.

"I need you" Inuyasha rasped out obediently.

"No! Tell me who I am." Sesshoumaru lifted his head to gaze into vulnerable golden eyes, a talented finger gently toying with Inuyasha's hidden hungry bud.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, Alpha" Inuyasha responded, as his hips thrust up in invitation. A tiny needy sound escaped Inuyasha when Sesshoumaru deliberately kept his touch light and teasing.

"No! Who am I to you? Tell me my Inuyasha who am I to you?"

"Ahhh.. I'm yours My Lord. In whatever capacity you will have me I am yours." Inuyasha swore sincerely vulnerability dripping from ever word.

Sesshoumaru stroked Inuyasha's flanks gently, calming and arousing the Hanyou, "That is not what I asked Inuyasha. I know what you are to me. You are mine, my Beta, my Hanyou, my Inuyasha. Of that I have no doubt. Tell me Inuyasha what am I to you?"

Inuyasha's gaze had a complex mix of amazement and horror. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. His heart started to pound and the blood in his veins seemed to burn hot. Sesshoumaru watched him with relentless demanding eyes, the Lord's hands moved constantly across his sensitive skin, keeping him on the edge of his desire.

"No, please I can't." Inuyasha gasped out. Trails of fire running across his skin, left Inuyasha wanting more and more. He broke eye contact and turned away.

His jaw was clasped in a firm and gentle hold, his eyes captured once again, 'You must." Sesshoumaru said simply his determination steady he would wait as long as he had to. Silence feel in the room, only broken by Inuyasha's pants of increasingly sharp whimpers of need, as the Daiyoukai continued his long, gentle strokes.

His body consistently writhing, desperate whimpers escaping his lips, he was a living column of need. He needed to be filled, he needed to quench the fire blazing inside him, so great was the need that Inuyasha's training finally broke. He suddenly arched back completely, a salacious cry escaping his lips. He jerked back up, and slapped his lips against Sesshoumaru's. The hands that had only dared touch the tentatively on the Lord's shoulders, suddenly encircled his neck.

His voice raspy and raw, tears swimming in eyes that had seen too much of suffering, clinging tight to Sesshoumaru the long awaited words finally spilled out, "My Lord, my Alpha, my Sesshoumaru, my lover, mine…!" The last word contained all the insecurities the Hanyou had, his breathe froze in his throat as he awaited the response.

Sesshoumaru's smile had Inuyasha breathing again, "Yes, Inuyasha, that is exactly right, I am yours as well." With those words the Daiyoukai finally released the reins of his straining control. He pressed the Hanyou's open palm to his chest, hooked Inuyasha's legs around his waist, and sank into the welcoming heat. Their cries mingled as they crossed the peak of completion together.

-tbc-

Hahaha If I write anymore would have delayed posting again. Please review, going through some shit so I really, really need it. Thanks. Suggestions and stuff welcome as always.


	28. Intentions

Happy new year all. Hugs and thanks to all who read and for the wonderful reviews, I soooo appreciate it.

Read, review and enjoy.

**Chapter 28 : Intentions**

General Bankoutsu's giant sword ripped through a faceless enemy, the being almost exploded as it died leaving behind nothing but gore. Fire raged around him as the General and his team took the offensive against the enemy. The battle was brutal as it was brief. Having received distress call from the border town, the General's team of fifteen warriors had used mirrors to teleport to the closest outpost. They had swept into battle, and had caught the enemy by surprise.

Bankotsu and his team made swift work of the enemy. The illusions hiding the true nature of the enemy did cloud demon senses, but the team handpicked by the General proved that success in was happened before a battle was joined. Only two members of Bankotsu's team were precision attackers, the other thirteen all had wide area attacks. Blurring forms made no difference to Demons who took out, not just you; but ten feet around you with the same force. Ariel poisons were contained wind generated by the great wind flaps and containment powers of the Seraphic warriors. The precision members used their speed to save as many of the town's inhabitants as possible. In short order, silence filled the village as the last enemy fell to a Seraphic arrow and exploded into a cloud of glue.

It was the first attack on a proper town rather than an isolated village or caravan, and it was the first loss that the enemy faced.

The enemy had cast a vortex of power around the town to stop anyone from within the area from opening a new portal. The enemy had not counted on the Youkai being so well prepared for war that they had almost fixed mirrors in hidden outposts around the land. The discovery of how to maintain stable fixed mirrors was only three hundred years old, and the enemy having been in an isolated human city for so long, had very little idea of what the Demons were now capable of.

In the City of the West, the body of the high priestess glowed red as the Shikon's anger spilled out. The barely clothed group of kneeling minions, cowered and cringed in fear as the displeasure filled the air and malicious burned their skin.

The viewing mirror it used to watch the attack spluttered to darkness as the last of its minions exploded. The Shikon tore the mirror off the wall and smashed it into the small crowd, shards liberally spraying them. While they covered their faces none dared move from the places their master had set for them. The Shikon, with exception of a select few, did not need beings of will around it, it needed dolls. Perfectly obedient dolls, who would do anything from killing, to suicide, to fucking on their Masters whim. The twelve that knelt belong to the Shikon totally. They had volunteered to serve without understanding, but they had understood real fast what it meant to be dolls of the Shikon, when the Jewel had ripped into their minds. As they had once done to Inuyasha, all their thoughts were laid bare to the Jewel. In between planning world domination, the Shikon had relaxed by training its' dolls. Molding them into its perfect guards; perfect toys. Beings to guard it and carry out its will without thought.

Immediately, snapping back to outward calm, it turned to glare out the painted windows.

So fast, the demons had reacted so fast. It had thought this would be an easy victory, indeed in the past the initial stages of its wars had always met with victory. What had changed? How had they mobilized so fast. The Shikon ground its human teeth. This was a fluke. It had underestimated its enemy. NO! This was not an underestimation; the enemy had just got lucky. The weak simpering fools who wanted unity between blood, who shunned the glory of being the last one standing – they were weak. Unfortunately they were also lucky.

Its wars in the past had been built slowly. A ten course meal to be savored. It was years before the Overkings had even realized it had awakened. The Shikon preferred that, the slow seeping destruction of his enemies. The games of turning friends into enemies, or slowly creeping into the hearts and conquering the land, as it had done in the City of the West. But this time it was different, the abomination walked free, and the Shikon would not have it. There would be no slow build up like in the past. The Shikon could not afford to lose warriors in small skirmishers, not when its supply of minions were currently limited to the City of the West. No more of these games, this would be a buffet.

The Overkings had yet to enter the fray. It presented a golden opportunity to the Shikon. It would gather its forces and crush the underlings who opposed it. The abomination would belong to it once again, and when the Overkings finally stepped in, it would be too late. This time the Shikon would win it all.

A cold smile painted across the marble-like face. With an almost absent gesture, the dolls immediately crawled across the broken pieces of the mirror to worship gratefully at their Master's feet.

** :D *O* :P

Inuyasha watched solemnly as the Bankotsu's team gave their grim briefing. Though they had successfully routed the enemy, they still had little clue to the nature of the creatures they were dealing with. Human, demon or seraphim they had no real idea what the attackers were as each and every enemy had exploded when they died. What was left over, could not be viewed or scented in any practical way possible. While the team were comforted that they could kill this level of their enemy easily enough the power of the one behind the frontlines worried them.

Even as the briefing ended a flurry of activity had them looking towards the great doors. The doors swung open and Lady Kaede walked into the hall. Her walking stick firmly in hand, her step was paced and deliberate. Her white hair and stout solid body made her seem grandmotherly. Her eyes however bright blue and sharp, scanned the gathering before her. Nothing missed her gaze. With a definite stlye, she tossed her walking stick at one of the servants, straightened up and strode with the strength of one many years her junior towards the group.

Bakusen'O raised an eyebrow, "You do not need the walking stick?" The elderly Youkai a long time peer of the Priestess asked casually.

Kaede shrugged, "There are no stubborn priest-lings here who need a good smack and one has found that it is to one's benefit to seem slightly weaker than one is. It makes the younger come forward and volunteer assistance rather than sit back and wait for one to do things for them. Now is not a time to hide one's power, our enemy is is on the move. Of the seven scouts sent to the city only three managed to escape and return, the rest were attacked and killed. A shroud of mist has engulfed the city, and none who have gone into the mist have returned. The shroud is expanding outward, it has literally swallowed up the outlaying villages, and it keeps growing." Kaede's voice was controlled and matter-of-fact. Her confidence and demeanor made one thing clear; underestimating the seeming old woman would be a grave mistake.

The old woman nodded at Sesshoumaru and Kouga in greeting. Her steady pace carried her to the middle of the room. All of a sudden she faltered. Coming to an absolute stand still, her eyes widened in shock. "Child is that ye?" The words left her lips at a whisper. The sharp eyes suddenly filled with moisture. "By the light, do not allow these old eyes to be playing tricks, please say that it is thee child?"

Calm golden eyes blinked at her. Inuyasha stepped out from the shadow of the pillar he had been standing under. In a strangely graceful move, the Hanyou sank to his knees before the Priestess, his head however was unbowed. "Mistress." It was all he said in confirmation.

Before anyone could move, Kaede grabbed the walking stick back from her servant and bonked Inuyasha gently on the head. "One spoke too soon, there are stubborn youngling here!" she huffed. "Stand boy, one has told you that thou should only knee before the light, not before its poor servants." Inuyasha made to stand, but his movement was arrested in an awkward half crouch, when the Priestess caught his cheeks between the palms of her hands.

The old woman looked deep into the rich gold orbs, the welling tears spilled out, and dripped onto the Hanyou's face. "Your eyes… they are alive… finally.. they are alive." She whispered, her thumbs caressing his cheeks. "By the light young one, one is sorry. One is so very, very sorry. One tried, one tried everything one could, but Lady Kikyo would not release thee to me. One has never felt so powerless. One is so sorry…" The last words came out as a sob, her relief so great at seeing the Hanyou who was the largest source of guilt in her life was finally free of the nightmare she had been forced to leave him in.

The priestess sagged against Inuyasha and the Hanyou suddenly found himself floundering as he was in unlikely position of comforting someone.

He cast a rather desperate look at his Alpha.

Sesshoumaru smirked in response. Any emotional show from his Beta was welcome, and even if he was not too comfortable with the priestess familiarity with his Beta, he had a feeling that the human side of his Beta needed this. For Inuyasha to truly heal validation from humans as well as the other races was required. All three aspects needed to accept their unique strengths.

Of course as much as Sesshoumaru could see Inuyasha needed the contact, there was only so much touching of his Beta that he would allow. So after a few long moments, the still smirking DaiYoukai glided forward and lifted the Priestess off Inuyasha.

The Priestess stood on her own feet and leaned a little into Sesshoumaru's strength. "Milady, do you need some time?"

The lady shook her head, she wiped off her tears and straightened up. "Nay, My Lord. This is joy not sadness, it is not every day when one's dearest wish is granted so easily. One sees your hand in this My Lord and I do thank you for saving this young one."

"You do not need to thank me for saving what is mine." Sesshoumaru's voice contained a hint of the warning, as he stepped away from the Priestess and stood just in front of the Hanyou. "Inuyasha is my beta."

The Priestess blinked, she could not help a wave of concern that engulfed her at the sheer possessiveness in the DaiYoukai's tone. Was the young one a prisoner here as well? Her eyes drifted with concern to the silent young one standing straight and tall next just behind the Lord. The Lady drew her power around her, she could not allow any uncertainty in this matter. She glanced calmly at Sesshoumaru, and deliberately released a spell. Sesshoumaru growled silently but he still stepped away giving silent approval for the Priestess to continue.

The priestess moved two feet in front of Inuyasha. She began to glow and a circle of sliver blue expanded outwards encompassing Inuyasha.

"Child, this may be my own issue, however this old one requires confirmation. Speak without fear, none may speak a word that is false within this circle. What do you want for your future? What is your choice in this matter?" The old woman spoke with a powerful tone, her voice demanded an answer. The spell she called on was ancient and rarely used as it left the one who cast the spell open and very vulnerable to physical attack. It spoke of Lady Kaede's trust in her surroundings that she dared to use the spell. She would have never even considered using it in the Western Temple of Light.

Both Miroku and Sesshoumaru's attention was riveted, this was something they wanted to know as well.

Inuyasha tilted his head, he blinked, the only outward sign of his confusion. His brow furrowed as he thought deeply before answering. "My choice.." he spoke slowly, with the voice of one unused to giving their personal opinions. "My choice, is to serve Lo…" Inuyasha went bright red as he corrected himself. "..is to serve my Alpha. I want to learn, to do my best to keep those who serve and who are friends with my Alpha safe." His voice slowly gained confidence.

"You are wholly willing to stay in the Western Demon Lands? Do you want this to be your home child? Are you happy here?" Kaede pressed gently.

"Yes, milady" Inuyasha replied without hesitation.

There was a small pause, and Kaede realized that Inuyasha had no intention of saying more, the Hanyou felt he had adequately answered her questions.

The spell faded and the old woman smiled at the Hanyou. "Very well, it is done. Stop dawdling all of you, we have battle plans to discuss." The elder snapped at those around her, gaining their attention and moving them forward to other discussion topics. Having cleared the key question, Inuyasha's situation was no longer a matter of concern, and just like that the group moved on to battle plans.

Inuyasha appeased by the warm possessive light in his Alpha's eyes, took his place by the pillar once again.

They strategized for war.

:P :X

From out of the murky dark, purple tendrils shot straight at him, he ducked and slashed. Razor claws cuts through the thick mass that once severed from the main body disintegrated. Blood splattered, coloring the grey outfit a dark red as the defender's arm was cut by another tendril.

Spikes exploded from the tendril to shred the defender, but a deft sword pieced the offending piece and hauled it away, slicing it in the process.

The battle was eerie in its silence. The tendrils made no sound as they were cut, sliced and destroyed. Two of the defender's dripping sweat and blood were equally silent. Only the battle cries of one defender broke the unnatural quiet. The defenders in this unnatural battle pushed the tendrils back into the darkness. They could not see the source of the tendrils, but with each cut, with each successful strike, their combined light grew, and the darkness retreated.

The battle lasted for what seemed to be hours. Claws, teeth and sword meeting and forcing back the onslaught. The scent of the defenders blood was thick in the air as they finally combined their strength in one big attack, pushing the tendrils out of their consciousness.

The three defenders stood silent, as the darkness and the attack receded.

"Well, that was fun." Yasha's teeth gleamed as he smirked at the retreating darkness. "It was good to test our new skills."

The other two nodded but solemnly looked to the edge of their world.

"Keh! Come on guys, the sanctuary is safe. We just had a good fight. Can't you enjoy that a little?" Yasha asked his grin fading at the heavy energy of his other.

Inu looked deep into the shadows as he sheathed his sword, "Yasha do you not see what this attack means?" He ran his clawless hand through his thick black hair.

The teen Youkai unconsciously mirrored his human counterpart as he scratched his hair and shrugged. "No." He replied honestly.

"We are targeted, the enemy is focusing on us. To enter our mind like this; to attack us with ferocity from such a distance means…" Inu's voice was deep, thoughtful.

"Oh!" Yasha said as the penny dropped, "The enemy is powerful, very powerful. No! You cannot think that the enemy is more powerful than our Alpha!" Inu spluttered rather indigently at his hero being challenged.

"I do not need to think it. I can sense it. Individually this enemy is much more powerful than anyone we have met." Inu said his voice no louder than a whisper. "But.." Inu stalled Yasha's outraged protest "… but our Alpha does not fight alone." Inu glanced at his dominant aspect.

Clad in the red blood stained outfit, wounds still leaking, Inuyasha turned to his two aspects. "No, our Alpha is not alone. The enemy targets us… that is good."

"Inuyasha we should tell Alpha what is happening." Yasha said uncertainty tinged his words, telling someone, expecting another to protect them was alien, wrong.

Inuyasha slowly shook his head, blood dyed hair brushed against the stained outfit. "No, Alpha has many things to do. We will not disturb him with such a petty concern. We will not distract him. The enemy targets us, that is good, because we can use that to help Alpha destroy the enemy."

At that point three levels of understanding merged, they all felt a sense of rightness at the silent decision. All three looked at each other solemnly.

"I will keep Pup close" Yasha's voice suddenly took on a much, much more mature tone. "We will not be alone."

The ebony locks bounced slightly as Inu nodded. "Our pack, we will keep them safe. We will not fail."

"We will draw out the enemy, we will weaken it, wound it." Inuyasha's voice matched the others.

"Is that enough?"

"That is the realistic assessment of our strength. We will make it enough. We the enemy comes for us, will last long enough to give our Alpha the edge to defeat the enemy. We will do what we can to keep everyone safe. We will protect them." Inuyasha's voice was filled with unwavering determination

"We had such a short time with Alpha. Are we sure we cannot tell him?"

"Alpha is honorable, he will seek to protect us, we will become his weak point. That is unacceptable. It has always been our task to guard. It is the right of the Beta to sacrifice. We have had a short time, but we had much more than we ever expected. Everything has a price." Inuyasha's voice trailed off, as he paused and the three aspects shared a long solemn moment.

In perfect unison the three spoke together, "This price is acceptable. We will protect them all. Until we give our people the edge, we will not fall." The three unified voices swore, the words resonating in their mind's eye. They made this oath with dead calm, they did not fear death, they did not fear pain. They would serve their Alpha and they would do whatever it took to keep their new family safe.

Without another word Inuyasha faded from the sanctuary, Inu and Yasha both drifted into the inner sanctuary, they needed to be with Pup, to touch and be touched. Death was not something they feared, and this would be a geed death. They had so little time, but it was much more than they had ever dared to expect, so much more. They would keep their family safe.

:C :X :K :O

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open and scanned the room, something had disturbed him. His Hanyou stirred restlessly in his arms. A bad dream? Before Sesshoumaru could even stroke the cotton soft hair comfortingly, Inuyasha relaxed and seemed to slip back into deep sleep. Sesshoumaru pressed Inuyasha close to him, luxuriating in the warmth that the young body emanated. Inuyasha fast asleep cuddled into him, a soft smile touched Sesshoumaru lips. The nightmare seemed to have passed, his eyes drifted shut.

===TBC===

I must admit that this is one of the hardest chapters I have ever written, mainly because I have to move the story on and pick up the pace as the enemy is on the move. Its hard to balance action with the romance. So what do you think? Please review.


	29. Whom Do You Protect?

Hiiii.. yes, yes I am alive. Thank you everyone for sticking with me. I wrote the first part months ago and then was totally stuck on this story. My plot bunny seemed to be dying in the middle of a chapter, but the trickle of reviews kept the stubborn thing alive. FINALLY two days ago while I was driving a strange idea hit. Plot bunny was revived. With that I could finally move on with the story. Warning evil cliff hangers.

Read, review and Enjoy.

**Whom Do You Protect?**

The war came faster than any one could predict. To the defenders it seemed that overnight the enemy had gone from small isolated attacks, to matching an army towards the Western Kingdoms. That the Shikon-no-Tama was the source of the war, was no longer a secret. Fear and apprehension swept the lands, as all, humans, Demons and Seraphim withdrew to safe and fortified locations to prepare.

The army of the Shikon however was focused. The army with chilling purpose matched from the human city to the Western Demon lands, destroying everything that stands in their path.

In the war chamber of the Western Demon Kingdom, the great battle map, showed the movement of the army from the City of the West. The dome powered by magic reflected the movements of the enemy in miniature. Like a relentless cancer, the darkness was spreading, making its way to the city.

"I do not understand it, the Shikon has never behaved in this manner." Bakusen'O said his aged faced concerned.

"Indeed, the Shikon unlike in the past, it is not sowing decent and fear before attacking. The Shikon is attacking head on before making any attempt to have the peoples at each other's throats. The magic that it is bringing to fore is historically what the Shikon only brought to bear when the High Kings faced the Shikon head on. That it is throwing so much power at us so fast…" Miyoga trailed off.

"Is only appropriate." Kouga cut in with a cocky grin. "Hey Lord Sesshoumaru and myself are of equal power to the High…. Or NOT!" The cocky grin disappeared as he got serious. "There is definitely something going on here. Maybe it is just a change in tactics. Perhaps the Shikon has learnt from its past failures. The cursed gem has been around long enough to not use failing tactics repeatedly. The innovativeness of this attack only means that we have to be more careful."

"While your rare humility is welcome, for once it may be misplaced." Shri Kaguya said softly. "You and Lord Sesshoumaru are almost solely responsible for the current peace between the Demons and the Angels. Lady Kaede is one of the few humans not from the City of the High human king that is respected by non-humans. Destroy us here, kill the three of you that represent the synergy between the races at the beginning of the war and the Shikon would effectively destroy one of the foundations of peace between the three kingdoms. If we fall here the task of the High Kings will be a great deal more difficult."

Bakusen'O nodded, "That is a good point. The Shikon has probably learned that in order to destroy the High Kings it needs to destroy their most trusted supporters first."

"Huh! The Shikon may learn as much as it likes, it will make no difference. The Shikon will be defeated." Sesshoumaru's tone was dry and aristocratic, his determination though was firm. "The Shikon is overreaching itself. Close analysis of the activities of our enemies shows that the Shikon's power in battle is erratic. There has to be some pattern to why at certain times the power of the Shikon is markedly less."

"I am of the opinion the Shikon has no idea that we can actually monitor and 'see' the Shikon's energy level. This is an ability that my family developed fairly recently, only two hundred years ago. I doubt that the Shikon or its human allies are aware of this ability, else the Shikon would be much more careful in maintaining a cloak to mask not just its numbers but its power levels as well." Shri Suijin said softly, her eyes tinged with fatigue. As one of the few in the whole of the Seraphim lands who knew how to 'see' and gauge the magical aura of others through the battle dome, the senior Seraphim had slept little since the enemy had left the human city.

"If we could figure out its why the enemy gets weaker, crack the pattern, we will be that much closer to defeating the enemy." Miyoga stated the obvious, and the others simply nodded.

:P :O "C

Far from the battle dome, white ears twitched. A clawed finger carefully ran down the printed characters, as Inuyasha carefully read aloud what was once indecipherable to him. Miroku nodded in satisfaction, his eyes glowed with pride as his grandson read the complex wording of the demonic history text. For one who had not been able to read his own name, to have come so far I such a short period of time was a testament to his grandsons' diligence and work.

The leaders were all being careful with the young one. Following the lead of the over protective Demon Lord, the others avoided embroiling Inuyasha in the details of the war. While Sesshoumaru could not stop Inuyasha from playing the guard dog for those around him, Inuyasha was still young, and the Demon Lord was determined to allow the youth to be a youth, and not bear the weight of the protecting the world on his too slim, too young shoulders.

This decision may have been unfortunate as if Inuyasha had been in the battle rooms, and not continuing his training, he could have solved the pattern that was currently confounding his leaders. He could have explained to them that the shikon's power waned every time the shikon tried to attack him in his sleep and lost the battle. If he had been aware of what was occurring in the war chamber, he could have explained this, but of course he was not. Inuyasha very conscious of not adding to his Lord's burdens kept the night attacks to himself.

It was surprising to Inuyasha how effective he had been at beating back the Shikon's periodic attacks. The Shikon was more powerful, but it was strategy and knowledge that won the battles. Inuyasha had come to realize that the Shikon could not 'see' or 'sense' Inuyasha's other aspects. Thus the Shikon could not predict or counter Inuyasha's attacks effectively. As the attacks were in Inuyasha's own mind the Shikon's limited perception could only recognize the Hanyou as a one entity and it was convinced that the unknown attacks were just a part of a new weapon or attack style the Hanyou had. So, while the Hanyou defended the gem's attacks head on, Inu and Yasha attacked from the side and back. The gem could neither sense nor counter those attacks, and this ultimately led to Inuyasha's continuous success.

That success could have had much more impactful, if Inuyasha had shared his success. The Hanyou however was unused to sharing his burdens and was too focused on protecting others, just as Lord Sesshoumaru was determined to ensure that his Hanyou's exposure to the horrors of war would be minimized. Thus in their mutual endeavor to protect each other, the defenders had inadvertently lost at least one tactical advantage.

The Shikon's army made its measured advance.

;) :P :o

The three aspects of Inu were in thick battle pushing the Shikon once again out of his consciousness. The three succeeded in ejecting the intruder with increasing effectiveness. When their mind was free of the intruder, instead of waking up, Inuyasha looked pensively at his other aspects.

"What happened earlier?" Yasha the teen demon aspect asked confusion clear on his face.

"Pup opened the sanctuary for a second during the fight and then closed it again. I doubt the Shikon even knows of the sanctuary. It definitely did not get in. But why did Pup open the door?" Inu replied his human face drawn with concern.

Inuyasha did not speak, he just nodded and in unison the three aspects moved to the inner sanctuary.

Pup stood just at the opening, his usually cheerful face serious.

"Pup?" it was all Inuyasha said, but they all saw the guilty look in their littlest aspects eyes.

"Pup hads to, Pup hads to open, just for a second. Pup was careful. But Pup hads to. We has to keep her safe. Its not right, we has to keep her safe!" Pup wailed his eyes pooling with tears as his little chin jutted out with determined stubbornness.

"What are you talking about Pup? We will keep everyone safe, that is our job." Inuyasha said softly and reassuringly. He knelt and stretched out a hand expecting Pup to hug him. But Pup hesitated, his hands behind his back, he looked at the ground as he drew semi circles in the ground with one foot.

"Yous promise, you promise to keep her safe?" Pup asked as he turned his head and looked at Inuyasha through the side of his big eyes.

"Who pup? We keep everyone safe. Who don't we keep safe?" Inu's words had a small bite to it, Pup's strange behavior was putting him on the edge.

"NO! You promise we will keep her safe!" Big golden eyes looked directly into Inuyasha's, Pup reached out and put a small paw on his dominant aspect's cheek. "Please, Inuyasha, please we must keeps her safe. Please Inuyasha. promise!"

Inuyasha leaned his cheek into the tiny hand, it was strange to feel so much warmth, from his own touch. A half smile of reassurance crossed his lips, "Pup, I will not lie, we cannot always save everyone, but as far as possible, if its someone you feel that has to be kept safe, we will do our best to make sure she is safe. I promise, okay? I promise we will try."

The smile that spread across pup's face made all of them feel better. "Okay. Thank you Inuyasha! You the best of the bestest! Better even!" Pup said and with his usual exuberance the puppy hurled into Inuyasha's chest for a big cuddle. After hugging Inuyasha, Pup HAD to hug the other two as well, hugs were essential in Pup's world. Once that important business was over, Pup seeming to have totally forgotten the earlier conversation. He looked around for a new game to play.

It was a good thing the adults had better memories.

"Pup, focus" Inu sighed and ran a hand through his jet black hair when all pup did in response was blink innocently. Inu shook his head in amused exasperation, "Pup, you were going to tell us why you opened the sanctuary during a battle and whom are we supposed to protect."

Pups' eyes widened. "Oh, yes. Why you makes Pups forget?" Pup glared at the three aspects clearly placing the blame for his short attention span on them. "Oks comes with me. Hurry, hurry. Yous so slow."Pup's grin flashed out again, rather used too his mercurial mood changes, the older aspects grinned at each other and follow behind pup.

The grins faded. Pup led them to an edge of the sanctuary. The Seraphic aspect, pressed his tiny paw at the sanctuary wall, a passage way emerged. It was a strange construct, while it existed inside their shared consciousness, the passage seemed external, almost alien to them.

'Pup, what is this?" Inu whispered, concern edging his voice.

"This is path. Path to other place."

"How can this path exist? Its part of us, and at the same time not." Yasha asked, a strange awe in his voice.

Pup shrugged. "Pups not know what Yasha means. Pup makes it. Pup hears calling for help, over and over… Helps, helps! Since the fighting when Pup is hiding, Pup can hear calling. Very noisy. Pups want to see who is calling, so Pup makes this."

He three adults glanced at each other, their unified acceptance of the statement apparent. The Seraphic aspect was the part of them that had created and maintained the sanctuary. While Inuyasha's will now controlled it, it was Pup that was the architect of their collective sanity. What Pup did was instinctive. There would be no explanation, and the aspects in truth required no further explanation. Pup made it.

The path opened up to what seemed to be a small room. The room was had a warm feeling to it. Potted plants lined the walls, a water fall and small pool feature took up once corner of the room. The furniture was simple a small table and a futon, piled with pillows and blankets. They could all see a small lump hiding curled up underneath the blankets.

"She really, really scared. When Pup sees her, she was trying to hid, but the power of the bad thing was eating her. Its could not finds her yets, but it was eating her. It hurts to be eaten." Pup's eyes were wide with horror and sorrow, he whispered loudly as he pointed at the lump. "First she very far away, and Pup's can see she cry and cry. But she too far, coming closer but still far away. Pup was thinking that she will be close enough soon, so Pup's make this, so she can hide from bad thing. Today she was close enough so Pup's went out and gots her. Pup finds her, not the bad thing. Pup brings her here, but she cannot stay." Pup's face had a look of miserable failure as he said those words. "She can only stay here like Inuyasha a short time, then she has to go back. Back to being eaten. Cannot, we cannot lets this happen. Please, please save her."

"Keh! Stop with the drama Pup, we are one, so of course we will save her." Yasha said getting tired of Pup's verbal barrage, he raised his voice to address the lump "Hey kid, come out of there, we may look scary.." Yasha absolutely preened as he said that line, "But we will not hurt you, we promise to try to save you so come out."

"YOU!" Inu screamed as the usually controlled human, teeth barred lunged forward, his hands stretched out to crush and maim. An arm wrapped around his middle and hauled him back.

'No! We promised!" Inuyasha said sternly, his face contorted with pain as he gently held his struggling human aspect.

The human fought against the dominant aspect, tiny hands caught his. "Inu hurts. Pup hurts Inu. Pup sorry, please Inu Pup is sorry. Pup breaks promise okay, we no help. Inu more important. Pup breaks promise and Inu can fell better and smile, okay? Please Pup sorry. Pup breaks promise okay? " Pup said earnestly, he had not expected this reaction and he could not bear it. Tears rolled down the small face. He would break his promise a million times if it would stop his human Inu's pain.

Sanity and calm returned to the human's troubled eyes, he tore his eyes from Pup and glanced at the shivering figure of the female huddled in the blankets. He blinked, and realized his shock had only allowed a part of the truth to register. It was not an adult who was huddled in the blankets, it was a child. A female child of perhaps nine years of age. He caught the child's eyes, and there was a moment of recognition. He saw in her eyes, a mirror of what he felt within himself. His rage disappeared.

His eyes closed as he relaxed into his dominant aspects touch. He felt Yahsa's clawed hand on his shoulder, and he leaned forward until his forehead rested on Pups. "No, we will not break the promise. We are one Pup, and your promise is our promise. We are one and I will be alright. There is no need to be sorry Pup, you are our light, and we will do what must be done." His voice gathered strength as he spoke.

As one the four aspects came together in a hug, their energies merging and aligning for a second. They needed the strength of their unity, to take the next step.

Inuyasha finally stepped towards the child cowering on the futon, the other aspects stood at his back in support. Inuyasha reached out an open palm. 'We have made a promise, and we will keep it. You do not have to be afraid, we will do all we can to protect you."

Big brown eyes looked at him, a strange sense of safety, overcame the child as she looked at the warm golden eyes. A small trembling hand reached for the large open palm. "Y..y.. you will protect me? Really?" Her voice was small, vulnerable and hesitant.

A small yet strangely blank smile crossed Inuyahsa's lips, he would do this, but he could not deny the shooting pain he felt as the small hand touched his. He employed every ounce of his considerable will to not jerk his palm back in disgust and revulsion. Always, he would do what he must. "Yes, I will protect you." Inuyasha said softly, his claws curled around the small hand. "Do not worry, I will protect you. In spite of everything, because you need me, I will do what is right. So don't worry, I will protect you, that was always my main task, was it not, Lady Kagome?"

:O :{ :P :B :X To be continued -

Hate me much? Sorry I was totally stuck until this idea emerged… so have to run with it and see where it goes. What do you think? Does plot bunny need to commit ritual suicide? Please review and share ideas and opinions. After long fast please feed plot bunny and review.


	30. Twitching Ears, Clenched Jaws

Heyyyy…. Lol not as long a wait as the last one, things picking up in more ways then one. Thanks so much for the reviews it helps to know that people are still interested, and that plot bunny does not need to commit suicide.

Unbeta'd cause I'm impatient.

Read, review and enjoy.

**Chapter 30 : Twitching Ears, Clenched Jaws**

Inuyasha inhaled deeply. He was not looking forward to this, but this had to be done. The muscles in his back tightened, his chest felt heavy. Puppy ears slicked back, he was so stressed. For the first time since Inuyasha had come to the castle, unasked and uninvited, Inuyasha would attempt to enter a room. Inuyasha strode to the doors of the war door. As had been instructed none of the guards stopped or interfered with Inuyasha. Instead they stood straight at attention and watched the Hanyou through the corner of their eyes. They did not smile, but serious eyes softened as the Hanyou squared his shoulders and knocked on the door.

His heart was beating in a crazy manner. It was such a small thing to ask to enter a room he had not been invited into. To others it would have been normal, an accepted behavior. But Inuyasha could hardly remember a time he had asked to enter a room he had no orders to be in. What if he was disturbing them, what if he was imposing? Thoughts seemed to flutter in his mind. Almost, he almost turned around and walked away, but he didn't he had promised Pup. He had to do his best, keeping his hand steady Inuyasha knocked on the door.

The members of the war room, startled at the foreign sound. Usually the guards would have opened the door and announced a new presence. All heads turned to the door. Kagura as the Palace Commander with a slightly annoyed air pulled the door open. Her annoyance vanished at the slicked back ears met her eyes. "Inuyasha!"

Kagura was totally unsurprised as before the word had completely left her lips, she was firmly pushed aside.

'Beta." Sesshoumaru's voice dripped with satisfaction, Inuyasha had requested to enter a room that in itself was an achievement. The Lord took in the slicked back ears and tense youth, the satisfaction waned. Inuyasha would not have been in the room without a reason.

Inuyasha bowed, his eyes kept low as his ears swirled around. Inuyasha decided if he had to say it, he would just do so, fast. So he blurted out. "Alpha, forgive my intrusion. Inuyasha requests that he be involved in the war. I need to fight the enemy."

The was a flurry of reactions to this, then silence as all regardless of their personal stance recognized that Sesshoumaru's opinion was the only one that mattered in this.

The Daiyoukai's felt his jaw clench, he wanted to say no, he wanted to keep Inuyasha away from the horrors of war, away from further trauma.

Inuyasha raised his head, and the DaiYoukai looked deep into the golden pools. The pressure on his back teeth almost cracked them, those eyes had a strange purpose to them, and Sesshoumaru knew what he had to do. Slowly he unclenched his jaw.

"Very well, as a General Apprentice, you have to work under one of your trainers, you will support them as an assistant. Bakusen'O will you accept that task?" Sesshoumaru turned to the elderly tree, he would have loved to guard Inuyasha himself, but even he had to follow the discipline of war. Else unnecessary hostility would be aimed at his Hanyou. More importantly, Bakusen'O while on the field, unlike himself, would not be in the front lines.

The tree demon, could not quite hide his smile. As a trainer he knew the Hanyou, and he understood better than the others, for the young one to actually ask, it was such a break-though there was no way the over-protective yet canny DaiYoukai could ignore the request. However that the young one would ask in itself had deep implications and the Elder knew better then to ignore that.

"It would be most appreciated for this old tree to have an able bodied assistant. Inuyasha is very welcome. However.." The old tree addressed Inuyasha directly "Young one, you have showed no interest in the war until now, what has sparked your interest?"

The Hanyou's cheeks took on a dull red color, he looked at a point just behind Bakusen'O's head. His nerves twisted, he had dreaded this question, as he was aware that the answer would put him in trouble. Be that as it may, the idea of lying never even entered his conscious.

"My Lords," he bowed at everyone, "I have been dreaming of the enemy, and one in the camp of the enemy, is trapped and has asked me to protect her. I need to try to get her out."

The reaction was immediate. There were demands for explanation from all corners, Inuyasha stood silent in the midst of the storm, his eyes fixed on the far wall. Sesshoumaru raised a hand and silenced the crowd. "Inuyasha explain." The DaiYoukai said flatly.

"The child in Lady Kagome is trapped and she has asked that I save her." Inuyasha answered. The silence that followed his words was deafening.

It was apparent that the Hanyou felt he had given a complete and comprehensive explanation.

Bankotsu felt his blood boil. "Inuyasha, you want to save that fat little bitch, that she witch! She bled you! She deserves whatever comes to her. Putting yourself in danger for her… No fucking way!" The General verbalized what a lot of them were feeling.

Inuyasha blinked slowly and shrugged. "She asked me for help." The Hanyou replied simply, Jeninji the healing Hanyou nodded sagely in absolute agreement with his brother, the rest of the room were baffled by the response. Everyone began talking and arguing at once, Inuyasha just stood there, he felt no need to respond to vague questions, he had no need to defend his decision. He was a guard, a protector, humans were weaker than him, and regardless of the consequences he would keep his promise to Pup.

Sesshoumaru watched his Beta closely, seeing the calm determination in the young one's eyes, the DaiYoukai felt the onset of a rare ache in his head. "Enough" his tone was firm, and the room calmed down. All eyes turned to the DaiYoukai.

"Inuyasha has made his decision, we will respect it, within the bonds that will ensure his safety." The light that sparked in Inuyasha's eyes at his words, warmed Sesshoumaru's soul and pacified his snapping overprotective self. More than anything he wanted to see his Hanyou, bloom into the powerful warrior that he should be. "Inuyasha you will however explain how this lady was able to contact you in your dreams."

"I don't really know." Inuyasha admitted sheepishly. "I think it's through my Seraphic side."

"Hmmm…" Miroku said softly he walked to stand beside his grandson, he may not approve but he would support the initiative if that was what Inuyasha wanted. Lightly he touched his forehead, petting his grandson. "If the one how seeks your protection has something physical from you, like a lock of hair, a feather or some blood, she would be able to contact you, but only if you were willing to allow it."

Inuyasha hesitated, but at a growl from his Alpha he nodded. "I had long hair when I first met her, she was actually nice until she introduced me to lady Kikyo. Then Kikyo freed my demons side, and bound me with the collar. Lady Kagome cut off my braid, and kept it as a keepsake." Inuyasha said in an unemotional voice.

Miroku's hand clamped on his shoulder, anger rolled of the half breed, "And you want to save this bitch?"Miroku snapped.

Golden eyes met silver ones with indomitable calm and pure conviction. "Yes." Inuyasha said without inflection. He found that in himself he bore his past tormentors no grudge, his life was what it was. They needed to be stopped, of that there was no doubt. But he would fight them out of duty and need not out of emotions.

The pureness of his grandson's gaze was humbling, Miroku found his anger turning to ash under the halcyon light. He took a deep breath, "Fine, we will save her" Miroku said his jaw solely unclenching, "I will not kill her for what she has done to my blood, but I make no promises to not give her a damn good spanking." The half Seraph said in weary disgust, well aware that was all his unique grandson would allow.

"Good glad that is settled." Kouga said his face a little tight. "Young one, we will monitor you energy and dreams this night to ensure that no harm can be done to you through this contact with this female."

Lady Kaede walked forward, her hands actually trembling as she reached out to touch the puppy-eared youth. Words escaped her, her eyes were bright with gratitude. Inuyasha's eyes widened when he realized he may be comforting the old woman again. Seeing the slight panic, Jeninji stepped up and collected the old priestess in a gentle healing embrace. It was Inuyasha's turn to look grateful, and Jeninji beamed at having saved his little brother.

Everyone relaxed at the slight exchange. Which of course meant that they were all sucker punched and flaws by Inuyasha's next words.

"Well I am pretty sure that my Seraphic side would not create a connection that the enemy can be aware of, cloaking is one of my best abilities. As long as I keep beating the enemy when it tries to attack me in the dreamscape, it cannot harm me. Keh! The stupid thing has not even managed to scratch my barriers." Inuyasha said with a slight tinge of pride in his words.

The young one was utterly confounded by the tsunami his words released.

I was a long while before everyone calmed down, explanations were given and the rather contrite Inuyasha thoroughly reprimanded by just about everyone.

:P :D :) :(

It was absolutely infuriating. That a DaiYoukai of his stature to have an actual physical headache, was almost beyond belief. Yet, here he stood Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands, with a distinct throbbing just behind his eyes. His only solace as he glanced at Lord Kouga his sole companion on the battlements was that obviously he was not the only one suffering. Kouga's fist slammed against the wall. "What the fuck is going on? Why does the Shikon risk so much to attack Inuyasha?"

There, that was the source of Sesshoumaru's headache. "Kouga we have just spent the last three hours discussion that with the full council, with our only answer that my Hanyou represents unfinished business that the Shikon is obsessed with. Pray tell, what possesses your thick skull to think this Sesshoumaru wishes to continue such a fruitless conversation."

Kouga grinned as he tossed his ebony waves into the wind. "No idea, but you did call me out here? So what up?"

Sesshoumaru looked out at the expense, even with his demonic sight he could not yet see the Shikon's army, but he could feel them. Through the ground, the earth that he guarded over, he could feel the evil at the edges of his domain.

"Its Lady Kaede, she hides it well, but this situation has strained her in more ways than one. Her stress is high and her pain while well hidden was commented on by Inuyasha. Have you scanned her?"

"She is an ally, one equal to us in this battle." Kouga replied seriously. "Usually such a request would be a slur on my honor, but after her near breakdown with Jeninji, I did scan her aura. She is strong, mentally and spiritually, emotionally there is a definite strain on her aura. How did Inuyasha see this?"

"He mentioned it a couple of nights ago, almost in passing, he said her voice, her step was off and wrong. This Sesshoumaru did not take it seriously until what we saw just now." Sesshoumaru shook his head slightly, Inuyasha's senses were so acute. "She could be vulnerable to attack when we go after the Shikon."

Kouga nodded In understanding, as the leaders of the peoples they could not discuss a potential vulnerability of another leader with any of lower ranks, even their most trusted. "I do not like the idea of asking the human Over King to send another. Lady Kaede in spite of her emotional connection is far more powerful and valuable in the upcoming battle. Further, the only other humans that have power equal to hers that I trust are High Priests Hojo or Shota, and both have been summoned to stand with the OverKings in case the enemy gets past us."

Sesshuomaru nodded, "So we are in agreement, Lady Kaede stands with us, and we guard her back in preparation for a personal attack against her?"

Kouga didn't answer, it was not required. The two leaders one silvery white and the other dark gold, stood in the flickering torch light. Their joint accord and determination sending a comforting wave of energy through the palace.

:C :P :O :X

Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth as they watched Inuyasha twitch slightly in his sleep. The Hanyou made no other noise, he showed no other signs of distress. If only Inuyasha had not been so good as masking the dream battles, Sesshoumaru would have guessed something was wrong much earlier. No point whipping himself over his Beta's abilities, Sesshoumaru and the others had been observing Inuyasha's sleep for three nights now. This was the first hit of discomfort they had seen, the tiny movement the only indication that the Hanyou may or may not have had the dream they were waiting for.

Human, Demons and Seraph were all scanning, focused on trying to identify the probable attack, but the sensed nothing. They could not be certain that the tiny movement had been a source of attack or just the Hanyou passing gas.

After a half hour Inuyasha's eyes blinked open. His ears twitched madly. "That was an attack. The Shikon has retreated again."

They scanned the Shikon's energy signature, and there was a noticeable drop in the energy of the dreaded gem. A heavy silence filled the room.

Kaede's soft voice pierced the silence. "Well, one is relieved and fearful at the same time. One admits this is a strange feeling. The Shikon strikes our young one regularly without warning. One votes that we follow through with the plan and finish this." The old priestess looked challengingly at Sesshoumaru and Kouga, it was a three way decision and they were the only ones who could make it.

Sesshoumaru his face grave nodded sharply.

Kouga forced a toothy grin, "Hell yeah! The next time Inuyasha dreams, we throw all we got at the blasted Shikon's army. If we do not destroy it, we will take enough of it out so that the Overkings can finish the job."

A ripple of excited fear reverberated through the palace. They were no longer on the defensive. On the next signal the combined force of Demons, Seraphim and Humans would attack. For the first time in history a force without the power of the OverKings would be attacking the power of the Shikon-No-Tama head on.

As they prepared every single individual was aware that when they attacked, they would either succeed or die. This was it.

-tbc-

Wow things are moving fast….. is Inuyasha special? Is the Shikon just obsessed or is there something more? Any guesses? Please review and make requests, I may not be able to fulfill them but I will definitely consider them.


	31. The Stench of  Blood

And the story continues... Thank you all for still reading and supporting, just due to some stuff, at the moment I cant write as fast. I still apologize, and everyone who reviews, you have no clue how much it means to me. A million times, thank you.

Totally unbeta'ed as editing will delay more.

As always, read, review & ENJOY!

**Chapter 31 : The Stench of Blood**

The Shikon Army, a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut of darkness crossed into the demon lands. The small towns were no match for the army, many had evacuated and the foolish who decided to stay instead of evacuate as was ordered by the Lord of the West, were consumed by the darkness. Made bold by her success, the Shikon followed her pattern and struck at Inuyasha three nights later.

Wrapped in his Alpha's arms and Moko-moko, Inuyasha's eyes snapped open. "Alpha." He said softly, no discernible inflection in his voice. Sesshoumaru tensed, he was sitting up before he was even fully awake. The palace had been ripe with tension over the last few days, but as good warriors did, they had all forced themselves to rest. Sesshoumaru awoke fresh, with blood pounding in his ears, his eyes began to bleed red. His lips curved in a predatory smile. "It's time." The Daiyoukai stated his voice dripping in satisfaction.

Though it was not a question, Inuyasha nodded sharply in response. Sesshoumaru glided out of bed, he did not call or shout, instead his aura reached out and pulsed. All within the castle felt the summons. There was no rush of activity, no scrambling of movement. As had been planned, the denizens began mobilizing in the silent darkness. None giving away the level of activity in the castle, lest the Shikon had eyes trained on them.

Commander Kagura, used to the general hustle and bustle of the castle, was amused and proud at how silently everyone moved. Human, Seraphim or Demon it did not matter, they ghosted through the halls like wraiths as the last of the preparations were executed.

The Army was made up of 16 command units. Kagura's unit was mainly defensive and would man the castle as the rest deployed for battle. The fifteen teams gathered in the courtyard, tense and silent. Sesshoumaru, Kouga and Lady Kaede appeared in the balcony. Wordless, Kouga raised an illusion of the current location of the enemy. As a site for battle, the location was less than perfect, but it was not the worst either. The enemy was currently camped within an overrun Demon town, the town was unfortunately located on a hillock, giving the enemy a height advantage. They would have to move very fast to overcome that. There was however a small forest to the right of the Town, affording some amount of cover, the forest would serve as the base for their army's reserves.

The illusion lit up with color, each color representing a different battalion. Silently and with amazing clarity, the battle strategy was mapped and shared with the whole force. Kouga's illusion faded. The three leaders looked solemnly at their army, they were primed, no words were needed. In unison the three gestured a command. Powerful spells were released.

Light enveloped the armies, and fifteen balls of 'light' sped off to the battle ground. The courtyard was suddenly empty. The three leaders turned to look at Kagura and the Shris. Kagura snapped to attention and thumped her breastplate; the city would be safe in her care. Sesshoumaru nodded again in acknowledgment and before Kagura could blink the leaders disappeared into a ball of light and shot to the battle grounds.

Shri Suijin's voice broke the silence, "Now that they are gone, I have a strong sense that one of us has to be there." The Shri said looking at Kaguya, both the Seraphim had been asked to care for the castle and monitor enemy movement from afar. Having seen more than their fair share of war, both had readily agreed. So Suijin's words were shocking.

"I cannot spare the reserve magic's to send you there with a speed spell." Kagura said firmly.

"In that case, Kaguya you have to go. I feel we don't have to be there immediately, but we need to be there. You are much faster a-wing, then I."

"I would have gone anyway, of the two of us, your ability to watch the enemy makes you the more valuable." Kaguya's wings unfurled, she smiled and focused, her wings glowed and then extended, a second pair of luminescent wings appeared on her back. "My family's special ability is flight after all, and while I am not the fastest of my family, I am still twice as fast as you." The Shri said this with a rather smug smile. Suijin rolled her eyes at the old and familiar boast, still she had to concede the point as Kaguya with a powerful flap of her wings, shot into the air, and zoomed after the Lords.

"Will she make it?" Kagura asked as the Shri got smaller and smaller in their sights.

"She is not travelling at orb speed, I am glad she will miss the first wave. We have both seen enough of war. I hate sending her to the battle field. Still she will make it. There is no doubt she will make it. Never underestimate the power of a Shri, Commander. There are very few that make it to the level of a Shri, for being a Shri means that once we accept a task that is reliant on our own power, we will succeed. Kaguya is a Shri, she will get there on time, but then others must play their roles and success can no longer be guaranteed." Suijin's voice was soft, but dripped with confidence.

Kagura found herself being assured and chilled at the same time. She had honestly not realized, the Shri's were basically the Seraphic version of a DaiYoukai. Well she was still the Commander, so hiding her shiver, she simply nodded and escorted the Shri back indoors.

;0 _ :P :D

The battalions snug in the magical orbs moved at the slightly below the speed of sound. They reached their destination just before dawn. The reserve force of five battalions led By Jankotsu and Sango melted into the forest. They secured an area for Jeninji and the healers, their task was to ensure none of the enemy forces slipped past the main army, and to provide backup for any part of the army that was overrun. If all went well, the reserves made up of mainly young, half trained and old and injured Youkai, would never actually enter the battle.

It had been proposed that Inuyasha stay with the reserves, but surprisingly it had been Bakusen'O who had vetoed that idea. The ancient tree demon, had his own instincts and he knew that having the Hanyou too far out of the battle would be a grave mistake. To Inuyasha's unvoiced disappointment, he and his mentor were placed in the ranged battalion. Bakusen'O would attack with spells, while Inuyasha had been equipped with a composite long bow. His battalions job was to rain physical and magical death from a distance on to their enemies. Unlike the stationary human ranged units, the ranged demon units were highly mobile. They moved in a strategic pattern with great speeds at the edges of the battlefield. With enemies unable to predict their position and locked in a physical location, the ranged demon units were lethal and critical in breaking down the enemies defenses.

The horizon dyed with muted hues of purple and red. A lonely dog's howled echoed out of the shadowy dawn. The howl was picked up by another dog and then another.

Within the town, the enemy's soldiers looked around with a sudden sense of unease. Extra torches were lit in an attempt to identify the source of the howls. That was the signal; the enemy had given away their position.

In a breath, the essence of the howl, changed. No longer lonely, it now chilled the blood, summoning the pack to revel in the blood of the hunt.

Even as the enemy soldiers shivered, and the Kikyo-Shikon burst out of her co-opted chambers, the world seemed to explode. Fire balls, Ice waves and lighting from the Youkais blasted the town walls. From the air blasts of sonic energy and telekinetic missiles was released by the Seraphim, attacking not the walls but the army hidden within. The twang of human weapons, bolstered by poisons, explosives and miko energy rang out, completing the symphony. The town was rocked by the sheer power and devastation of the attack.

Had it been any other army, the opening salvo would have destroyed it, but this was no ordinary enemy. This was the army of the Shikon-No-Tama.

The Shikon screamed. Magic and power swirled and choked the air. Those that lay dead from the first wave attack, awoke and rose like puppets, the dark energy of the Shikon filling them. Even weakened the Shikon was not to be underestimated. To destroy the enemy the dead had to be turned to dust. The Western forces had been prepared for this, for a long battle.

Bankotsu and Kouga's lieutenants broke through the outer defense into the town. The first melee wave took down the enemies, the Lords followed just behind. Their unenviable task was to turn the bodies and walking corpses of friends and foes alike to dust, while defending their forces against any direct attacks that the Shikon made. The Shikon's inner circle, her most powerful puppets joined the battle, casting illusions and confusion upon the Western army, the stronger generals of the West were focused on finding and eliminating them.

The enemy was engaged and the fight was to the last being standing.

:X w :O :C

Inuyasha released another salvo of missiles as he danced to the next position on the field. Between one move and the next he seemed to stumble, just for a second, before catching himself and dodging an enemy blast. A knowing shivered through him. He didn't see anything or hear anything, he suddenly just knew, that If he was serious about keeping his promise to Pup, he could not follow orders and stay with the ranged battalion. To keep his promise to Pup, he would have to break ranks and disobey his official chain of command.

Outward obedience had been whipped and beaten into the Hanyou, but the inner Hanyou had never submitted, they had survived by being one, by following their own code of being. There was no need to debate the decision, as soon as the battalion was in a more secure position, puppy ears twitched and the Hanyou slipped into a cloud of smoke, disappearing towards the beleaguered town.

Old eyes that missed nothing when it came to those under his protection, noted the Hanyou's departure. With the patience that was inborn of all trees, the Demon gave a silent blessing of protection to his young charge and continued with the attack.

In the smoke and stress of battle it would take a little while for the other members of the team to notice the Hanyou's disappearance. That time Bakusen'O would gift Inuyasha with. A tiny head start would probably allow the young one to get to his goal, before his overprotective Alpha interfered.

:-( :X :% :-B

With the choking darkness, the smoke and the explosions that rocked the atmosphere it was impossible to navigate the area by sight. The Hanyou who had honed his other senses far beyond the ability of even a Youkai, was unhindered. He sped past the different battalions; careful to give the battalions lead by those who may sense him a wide berth.

Trusting his instincts, Inuyasha headed to the far end of the town, there was a small temple that was attached to the town's graveyard. The graveyard was old, the temple well cared for, or at least it had been. The denizens of the town had obviously spent a great deal of time and care on the small structure, the few days that the Shikon Army had overrun the town. The was a holiness to the temple that seemed to come from the very stones, a holiness that even the recent desecration had not eradicated.

The heavy iron doors of the small temple were almost unrecognizable scraps of iron. A great deal of power had been aimed at the doors to cause them to crumple in such a manner. The power signature that clung to the door frame was extremely familiar to Inuyasha. Without a shadow of a doubt Lady Kagome had flung some sort of energy bolt at the door, causing them to explode and crumple like paper.

Inuyasha inhaled deeply as he slipped into the temple. The scent that assaulted him was the rich, tangy and yet sickening, the acid scent of blood, charred flesh and smoke. For a second he hesitated, overwhelmed by the horrid assault on his olfactory system. His brain automatically began processing, filtering and evaluating the scents. He discarded the overt stink and honed in on the secrets hidden under the putrid layers.

Elusive as it was he caught the subtle aroma, it was a fresh scent, and the flavor of it hurt his generous heart. He scented tears, very, very recent tears.

Inuyasha's ears scanned the room, zoom in on the source, of muted sobbing. He turned to the side and his eyes widened in horror. Amidst broken body parts, in a pool of blood, the sobbing priestess Kagome seemed to be trying to put bodies back together. Inuyasha stood silent as the young priestess, stroked the hair of a severed head, as she tried to find the body that matched the head. She scrambled through the blood, her sobs ever increasing.

"Lady Kagome," whispered Inuyasha, his heart strangely aching.

The young priestess looked up her eyes tear-filled and frighteningly blank. "Mongrel? By the Light Mongrel, where have you been?" The lady's voice was sing song, childlike but broken, wrong. "Why did you leave me? Things went so wrong when you went away? Why did you leave me? Nothing has gone right since you left? Why did you leave me? Mongrel, why?" Kogome's voice broke into huge sobs, her body shook from the force of her tears.

Golden eyes blinked, Inuyasha slowly stepped closer, "Lady Kagome, what happened here?"

"Here? Here? I.. I.. happened. Her Ladyship Kikiyo s.. sh.. she ordered me.. to.. I was told to break the door. Sh…she.. ordered.. ordered me to use my most powerful spell. I.. I .. didn't know, I was just to break the door. I didn't know… the people.. Mongrel, you believe me don't you? I.. didn't know.. the people were inside. I didn't know, I swear.. I wouldn't.. I would not have done this. I would not have used so much power… I swear. I kil.. I.. kill.. I.. I killlled.. I didn't mean to.. you believe me don't you? I am not a murderer, I'm not! I am of the Light! I am of the Light….!" The woman-child wailed in confused pain.

Inuyasha's head crocked to the side, slowly he approached the pitiful figure, Inuyasha could hardly believe it. While he had been nourished and cherished in the care of his Alpha, the once pampered, self assured, arrogant and vain priestess was an almost emaciated mess. The girl was thin, sickly so, her skin pasty and drawn, the skin around her eyes discolored to the point that Inuyasha knew it had been weeks since she had had a good sleep.

Though he looked focused on the girl, Inuyasha's ears constantly swirled, relentlessly scanning for danger.

Carefully he stepped closer.

Kagome looked up her eyes clearing a little, what little sanity she had left returned. "Mongrel? Do you believe me? Kikyo said I knew, she said I knew that humans were inside, all the other priests they said I knew, they didn't believe me when I said I didn't know. I just followed her orders. I'm not a monster. I'm not!" Her voice rose in anxiety, and the dropped the next words came out as a desperate whisper. "Mongrel, you believe me right? I really didn't know, I'm not a monster... am I?"

One phrase, Inuyasha realized that one phrase was all that he would need to have his revenge. He would not need to kill her, one small phrase from him and he could have his revenge without breaking his word to Pup. All Inuyasha had to do was say 'yes' and the priestess's fragile being would shatter. He could destroy her, so easily. All he needed to do was say, "Yes, yes you are a monster."

Inu stirred in Inuyasha's being, deep violet flashed in his eyes. Inu's pain was deep, raw but seeing the broken soul before him, seeing the woman reduced to this, his strong heart contracted. Animosity to such a pathetic creature served no purpose. Inu felt a swelling up of pity, of indescribable emotions. So powerful was the mixture of pity and pain the human aspect shuddered under the onslaught.

It was overwhelming. Gentle clawed hands embraced the human aspect, smaller hands wrapped around his legs. "Come, Inu." Pup and Yasha said in unison. "Come, Inuyasha will handle this, come. We do not need to see this, come and rest!" Without waiting for a responseYasha picked up both Pup and the human aspect, the three faded from Inuyasha's conscious mind and sank deep into the sanctuary to rest and heal.

"Lady Kagome" Inuyasha's voice was soft and warm, the wealth of forgiveness in his tone reached out and acted as a gentle balm to the broken soul. Inuyasha stretched out an open palm to the girl. "You are no monster, the Shikon is a poison, a corruption. You will have to atone, but you are still of the Light."

Kagome looked up, and the light that she had once seen. The light that had initially drawn her to the human child in the back streets of the city, seemed to shine out of Inuyasha's soul. In embraced her, welcomed her. That precious light in Golden eyes, the light she had come so close to destroying. Kagome looked at the outstretched hand, steady and clawed. The hand of the slave that had protected her, had saved her so many times.

Tears, real tears rolled silently down her bloody cheeks. With great care she put aside the body parts that she had been holding. She reached forward with trembling hands.

As their hands came close, she stared at the firm, open palm, it contrasted sharply with her own bloody and shivering hands. Realization flashed through her. She threw herself forward, instead of taking Inuyasha's hand, instead of dirtying it, she threw herself at his feet. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she pressed close seeking warmth, desperate for forgiveness.

Holding tight the priestess cried, her heart breaking and her mind beginning to heal. She pressed close, and as gentle claws petted her, for the first time since the Skikon had taken over Kikyo, Kagome felt the light, she was protected once again.

For what seemed like a long while (but in reality was only minutes) Kagome's sobs were the only sounds audible in the area.

-tbc-

Lots happening, me thinks a certain Alpha is going to be less then happy... do keep in mind, The Inuyasha – Kagome scene, played out really fast. Suggestions, ideas and critics welcome._ Thanks again, please review. Review feed authors souls! See you soon!_


	32. Strike and Counterstrike

Hiii all. Not too long a gap this time, but damn hard to write battle scenes. Many many thanks to those who still are supporting in spite of my tardiness. Love your reviews sooo much, hugs! Oh havent had time to edit in any way.. sorry upfront.

Read, review and enjoy!

Chapter 32: Strike and Counterstrike

Energy spat and crackled, explosions and smoke made the air itself oppressive. Power surged as the DaiYoukai cloaked in pure energy, a figure of terrifying power and beauty moved through the battle field. Explosions rocked around him, the natural energy expanded by Sesshoumaru's Youki was a force field around him, none of the attacks from weaker beings even disturbed a hair on his immaculate head. His eyes scanned the battlefield, his energy whip obliterating all in his way.

Lord Sesshoumaru was a terrifying force, those that fell to his power stayed dead.

The plan was to weaken to Shikon, the plan was to take down the forces of the Shikon, drain its energy and then take the battle to the enemy when it was weakened. That was the plan, and sometimes even the plans of the Demon Lords went in the way of mice and men.

He saw nothing, he sensed nothing, but his personal sense of preservation suddenly had the Demon Lord spinning around, just in time to raise his hands in defense as a missile of power, smashed into him. Power exploded and the Demon army was stunned into stillness as the Demon Lord was blown off his feet.

:O x ;P :C

Priestess Kagome leaned heavily against Inuyasha as they moved slowly towards the door. Inuyasha's senses were tingling, he had been away from the battle for too long, they needed to get out fast. It would have been faster for Inuyasha to carry the woman, but as generous as his heart was, the very thought of actually picking her up, was literally beyond his strength. So to the great door they limped.

Inuyasha suddenly tensed, he was about to push the priestess behind him, when he recognized the Youkai of the other. It was not the one that he had been sub-consciously waiting for, a tiny frown crossed his brow, his muscles tensed further, something was not right.

"Bakusen-O!" Inuyasha said in way of acknowledgement as the Demon Tree Demon, emerged at the shattered door.

"Inuyasha, you have found the girl. Your business is done." It was a statement, not a question. Inuyasha blinked silently. "Come we have to leave now, Lord Sesshoumaru has order your withdrawal from the battlefield." The words and commanding tone had an immediate effect. Inuyasha nodded sharply, he instinctually agreed to comply with his Alpha's orders.

Unquestioning Inuyasha began to move In the direction indicated by Bakusen-O, he almost tripped when the almost hereto limp and passive priestess suddenly raised her head. Her eyes were wide and filled with a strange kind of panic. "Mongrel, its happening Lady Kikyo, her power, it happening." The Priestess voice was high, edging on hysterical.

Inuyasha paused, his brows drawing down in confusion.

"Inuyasha we have to go, now!" Bakusen-O ordered, a alien sense of urgency and concern seemed to radiate from the old general.

"What is happening?" Inuyasha asked, he wanted to follow orders, but his legs suddenly refused to move.

"Apprentice, this is an order, we are to retreat now!" Bakusen-O snapped the order, his tone sharp.

Inuyasha snapped to attention, he hoisted Lady Kagome up to obey.

"No," The Priestess said, it was her voice her tone that stopped the two, not the words. No longer hysterical, no longer emotional and high, the one word uttered by the Priestess was out different, out worldly even. Kagome seemed to gather her strength and she straightened away from Inuyasha. "No, Mongral, if you retreat nothing can stop her."

"Lady, you know nothing of Demons, our leaders on the battlefield are for more powerful the Inuyasha, and they have ordered his retreat." As firm as his words were, Bakusen-O made no move to force them on their way.

"Than those that are fighting now will die." Kagome snapped back, in spite of the situation, the priestess did not like being questioned. The actually challenge to her authority seemed to fortify her strength and she stood taller. "Please." The word was alien on the Priestess lips, it was rarely uttered, but still it was power in its sincerity. "Please, I know.. I know.. Lady Kikyo, what she has become… they are not the High Kings, no matter how powerful they are they are going to die."

Bakusen-O lowed his eyes for a second, he ground his back teeth, silent.

'What does she mean? The plan.." Inuyasha whispered his voice soft.

Bakusen-O sighed, he squared his shoulders and faced the Hanyou with the truth they had been ordered to suppress. "The plan, Inuyasha was always flawed. It was always reliant on the Shikon not taking a aggressive stance, on draining its powers before we faced it. The Shikon is far from drained, it has engaged us directly. We will do our best, and the High Kings will be here soon to finish it off. It is all we can do. Your Lord has ordered you to be safe, you will be an unneeded distraction to your Alpha on the battlefield. Unless you see yourself as more powerful than Lord Sesshoumaru, you will heed his wishes. Unless you have no respect for his orders, you will live." Bakuseon-O finished sharply, it was a prepared speech, planned to force the Inu-Hanyou to action.

Inuyasha's eyes went wide. Bakusen-O's words hit him like bullets. He was in no way even close to Sesshoumaru's power, but to live without his Alpha was unbearable, he honestly could not imagine it, but to disobey to save his own heart, was unthinkable. Inuyasha's whole world seemed to drain of color, he stood frozen.

Bakusen-O saw the utter blankness in the young one's eyes, grief and relief mixed together. Inuyasha would obey, and the old tree doubted that the Inu-Hanyou would ever forgive himself for that obedience.

The tree took a step and mechanically Inuyasha mimicked it.

"No! Mongrel you cannot retreat!" Kagome insisted clutching at the Hanyou's sleeve.

"Alpha has ordered my safety." He replied woodenly.

"Listen to me! Lady Kikyo, she wants to break me now or to kill me. Why? All of a sudden why?"

Inuyasha blinked and looked at Kagome, her words seemed far away distant, but..

"I know, two days ago I saw it I know! I thought I was so damn clever, I thought I hid it well, had something on her, but I was a fool she must have.." Kagome paced rambling a little incoherently.

"Enough!" Bakuseon-O snapped, the Hanyou was simply not paying attention to the girls behavior, but the tree had enough. "Girl, you will speak or I will shut your mouth permanently."

"Ummm.. Lady Kikyo, she is afraid of one thing, she is afraid of Mongrel."

"Me? Impossible." Inuyahsa replied flatly.

"No, it's true two days ago, it was late, I passed by her room. She was standing infront of a crystal in almost a trance, there was a strange light and she jerked violently, coming out of the trance. She was angry, she stated yelling a name, Inu-something and then said "She should have killed the Hanyou, drowned him as a pup." So I knew she meant you. She was so angry, but her eyes, Mongrel I swear on the light she was afraid, and I know she is afraid of you." Kagome nodded her eyes sincere, if Lady Kikyo was afraid of her pet, it was only logical that Mongrel could perhaps weaken her. Kagome knew that if Lady Kikyo won this battle, her death was assured, she could not afford the Hanyou retreating.

"That is vague My Lady, we have to go." Inuyasha's words were stilted hard, the Lady's statements were too vague, but he wanted to believe her so badly. He could not use a false pretense to betray his Alpha just because his heart wanted him to.

"Inuyasha, when I think of it, the Shikon entered the battle a second after your Youki was obscured by this temple. She may be telling the truth or it may be a trap." Bakusen-O gazed at the Hanyou, the blank eyes were slowly coming back to life. Inuyahsa started at him, still unmoving. The young one was too well trained, keeping his word to protect the girl had been one thing, blatantly disobey because that was what Inuyasha wanted to do was totally different. The Hanyou literary could not disobey his Alpha twice in a day.

Bakusen-O inhaled deeply, "As your General on the field, as is my authority, Inuyasha I order you to go to battle, face the Shikon. I know not what you can do but go! I will get this baggage to safety and join you. Go!"

Even before the last word was said Inuyasha's countenance shifted, a determined looked snapped in place, and he was off like a shot. Heading to the heart of the battle.

Kagome suddenly alone with a demon, felt stripped of the safety the Hanyou's presence had offered her. The fear and panic started to creep back, "Should I have stayed silent? Have I sent Mongrel to his doom?" She whispered in a dry and break voice, all the earlier determination vanishing as if it had never been there.

Bakusen-O raised a brow, and the bi-polar switch in the child's personality. "Inuyahsa obeyed me, not you. But if you do not want to meet death in a much more personal sense, refer to out Inuyasha as Mongrel in front of other Demons of the court, in fact if you utter that word one more time in my presence, and you will regret it." Bakusen-O's smile was demonic, his grandfatherly face hard and threatening.

"B..b.. but You promised Mo- umm ahh I-I..Inuyasswha you would take me to safety."

"Oh I promised not to kill you, I don't not promise I would not rip out your sorry tongue, dip it in Sake and have it as a snack, while you watched." Bakusen-O said in a rather pleasant voice. Gratified by the girls suddenly pasty and sick look, he wrapped a hand around her waist, hoisted her on his shoulder like a sack of old potatoes and sped towards the Demon Lands. He would do this task and return as soon as he possibility could. The aged tree-demon sent a silent prayer to the ancients that he would not return to be tasked with taking the bodies of his loved ones homes.

:C :O :X :P

Sweat rolled down Kouga's brow, the barrier he set up to protect Sesshoumaru and Kaede buckled under the strain of the Shikon's attack. The Seraphim had never in his long life experienced such a battering. His boast was that none, not even the greatest attack of the Demon armies had been able to break his barrier.

That was a boast Lord Kouga would never be able to repeat again.

The barrier buckled and shattered. Kouga's wings instantly folded around him, protectively. The force hit him first, he was blown into a shattered wall. His wings half shredded from taking the blast. He coughed blood, pain radiated everywhere. A grim smile spread across his pained face, if he felt pain he was alive. If he was alive, he could fight.

With the barrier shattered the blast of power aimed straight at Sesshoumaru and Lady Kaede, they both calmly faced the Shikon. Sesshoumaru's lifted his great sword and met the bulk of the attack. His great sword collecting the energy of the Shikon into it. His eyes bled red under the strain and the power was too much. He could not absorb the pure power of the Shikon.

His legs were about to buckle, just before he was overwhelmed Lady Kaede touched her staff to Sesshoumaru's shoulder. Her Miko cleansing power tightly controlled wrapped around Sesshoumaru's arms and merged with the sword. Sesshoumaru's power doubled, power surged around the DaiYoukai. He was focusing, channeling, one more ingredient was needed.

Kouga gathered his strength and flashed next to Sesshoumaru, his tattered wings trembled in pain. Ignoring everything but the task that had to be done, he gathered his power and sent pure Seraphic energy into Sesshoumaru. The Great Dog Lord roared his body half transforming as he took on his baser form to manage the pure force. With his half transformed hands, with a burst of movement he sent the power of the Shiko right back at the source.

The blast tore through the very earth scaring it for many, many ages to come.

The Shikon, clothed in Lady Kikyo's body scowled and braced itself at the blast. The force hit the shikon, it was a direct hit. The power engulfed the Shikon, and it blasted back. The impact of the power hitting the Shikon, was too much, the very air seemed to catch fire, and the area exploded. The combined army were knocked off their feet by the blast's shockwave.

The dust slowly settled. The combined army slowly got to the feet, the body of the Shikon was still, and the army held their breathe.

More the half of the Shikon's army as it their strings had been severed army, fell to the ground. Then the bodies began to twitch, black miasma seeped out of each of the body.

"No! Torch the bodies NOW!" General Bankutsu yelled as he unleashed a pillar of flame at the rising bodies around him. But it was too late, the Black Misama flashed back to its source. The miasma swirled, and a dry mocking laugh reverberated in the air.

Lady Kikyo rose from the hard earth, her smile was the picture of evil. "Fools, is that all you have got? You are not the overkings, such empty arrogance. None of you are strong, you have to leech off each other's strengths like the weak worms that you are. Pathetic. One race should be superior, one of you should rise and rule, instead you feed on your own weakness. Under the guise of 'unity' you weaken yourselves. You imagine such crawling worms like you will be able to destroy me? You think you have a hope to win?" Her laugh was arrogant and triumphant. "You are no way strong enough, I will destroy you and destroy all that you in your ignorance harbor."

Power surged in the Shikon, the electricity built up, and the Shikon seemed to absorb power from the air and the earth itself. All the damage done by the combined attack healed. The Shikon stood whole and strong before them. "Think you have enough power to do that again? Let us try shall we?"

Sesshoumaru, Kouga and Lady Kaede all growled, their power surging, but sadly in reality they were limping. That had been their best strike, with their current levels of power, they could not possibly match the earlier stand. Their plan it seemed had failed, the three knew the consequence of the failure, they would fight and they would die. Their main hope was the High Kings would be able to turn up and use their sacrifice to destroy the Shikon. They hoped it was enough to not require the sacrifice of half the peoples of the land to destroy the Shikon this time.

Bankotsu and the other members tried to enter the battle, but the force barrier that had been put up by the Shikon was still standing. The force barrier allowed the shrapnel and force to attack those around but did not allow those outside to interfere with the battle unless they were powerful enough to overcome the barrier. And none of them were. Not even combined, were their power enough to get them inside the barrier. In their frustration they turned their wrath on the those of the Shikon army outside the barrier. The Shikon hardly spared them a glance as they combined army began to incinerate the rest of its followers.

It cared not.

There was always more bodies where those came from.

Energy crackled around it, it raised one hand to strike. "Well this is fun. The young Seraphim, yes it is my guess that it its the young Seraphim, tut.. tut.. already so tattered and bleeding. Fear not, I will be merciful, I will swiftly free you from your pain, and I truly hope in death you will see what you were blind to in life. You could have been powerful, but you choose weakness. You could have led your people to strength but YOU.. you conspired with that dog to end that beautiful war. Fools. Die now!"

The Shikon sent a blast directly at the three, as powerful as its earlier strike it hurtled towards them... and exploded.

It was rare that Sesshoumaru was surprised, in the near present it was only his Hanyou that surprise him. Today the explosion two inches from his nose, that somehow did not stir a single hair on his majestic head definitely surprised him. Feeling rather like Yasha in that moment he blinked, then shook it off as he glanced upwards.

Shri Kaguya made for a rather spectacular sight. Her four wings flapping against the sunlight. Lady Kaede, who was more used to dealing with the antics of the Seraphic Princes, felt her breath catch, for perhaps the first time she understood why some of her fellow humans insisted on seeing the Seraphim as decedents of the Angels of Light.

"It seems my timing is just right, heh! One more point for me, Suijin is so paying for my wine." The Shri said with a rather smug grin dispersing thoroughly the "Angelic" aura. She glanced at Kouga and nodded solemnly, "Forgive me my Prince, you are so powerful, Suijin and I, both overlooked the fact that you are yet to earn the title of Shri. Will you forgive me if I assist you in this fight?"

Kouga shook his head in wonder, the Shri had flown through the barrier as if it was not there and defended them from the blow. This was not the time to give in to petty ego, and like the excellent leader the winged one was he gave a brilliant smile, "Forgive you? I think I'll buy you that drink instead." The Shri landed gracefully just beside Kouga. She had to be careful, only three beings one from each race could unify their energies. No matter what they had tried, only three beings – one from each race could unify smoothly.

Prince Kouga resonated much more easily with Lord Sesshoumaru, she was too old and too set in her ways to merge with the DaiYoukai. Before they merged she would have to channel her energy into Kouga, and she would have to sever her contact with Kouga just at the moment he merged with the other two. The moment of severing would leave her wide open to attack. They would have to ignore her and focus on attacking the Shikon. It was not an efficient way to fight, it was another stall tactic, a tactic to drain the Shikon. At this point it was all they had.

The Shikon did not bother with words, it sneered. Fools. They were not worth its time. Fools, to come all this way to die. Fools! Power surged as it prepared to strike.

-TBC-

Opps cliff hanger... hehehe guesses to what happens next? See you soon, and please do review, starving author here. :D


	33. Inuyasha Enters the Battle

Ok short post, but the ray of hope is we have forced leave for a couple of days, so I finally have time to write again. Thanks so much to all the people who support this fic, you are amazing!

Totally unedited (Yup Snowfall is going to strangle me, but I don't want to dilute this for her :P enjoy)

Read, review and Enjoy (Try not to wish my death too hard ok?)

**Chapter 33 : Inuyasha Enters the Battle **

The power was surging, like a dark symphony, it swirled around the Shikon, boasting of its power, displaying the depth of it for the army to see. The combined armies quailed. The power was so immense, it was almost beyond belief that one being wielded so much raw energy.

General Bankotsu had an alien feeling of his mouth going dry. Fuck, he was afraid, very, very afraid. It would not stop him from doing his duty, but he was suddenly for the first time since the day he was a pup afraid. He was afraid that even as a stalling tactic their power would not be enough, that they would not just die they would fail. His heart quelled, they would have to put into motion their last plan, damn, he would lose his Lord, his best friend, for nothing. The Shikon was just too much.

And instead of taking vengeance, of dying beside his Lord, as per their plan, he would be coordinating their army's retreat. He never wanted this, everything in him protested, but the order had been clear, if the main plan failed, if the Lord died, it fell to him to lead the retreat. General Bankotsu's honor would never be the same, his heart would never be the same, but in spite of his own will he would obey their Lord and protect their people.

Once they were safe however… he would return, and as useless as it was he would make a stand and join his Lord. Fear faded to nothing, his jaw tightened with grim determination.

The Shikon's mocking laugh was the only sound that filled the battle field. Everyone else was silent and tense. The sound, like the swelling energy grated the nerves and the hearts of those caressed by the darkness.

Sesshoumaru tensed, focused of gathering his energy to send the Shikon's energy back at it in a backlash wave. He could feel the powers of his allies coalescing around him. They were very focused, the dark powers battering at him.

Then... he stumbled.

Lord Sesshoumaru actually stumbled. The sudden ceasing of the dark energy around him, the absolute silence, was shocking. Sesshoumaru blinked in surprise, and then his heart clenched. No, his Hanyou! NO!

The Shikon pulled back its energy totally, its focus had shifted completely. Ignoring the Lords, forgetting the army around them, the Shikon actually turned its back to face the Hanyou that came bounding from over the broken buildings.

"So the abomination finally approaches." The Shikon's lips twisted into a parody of a smile that had in it all the warmth of an Arctic wind. "You are finally ready to meet your destiny, abomination? Kneel and meet your end at my hands." Each word was a shard of ice.

Inuyasha came to a halt not ten yards from the Shikon. It blocked his path to his Alpha. This was the first time he was seeing the actual Shikon, clothed in Lady Kikyo's body, the Shikon was a twisted beauty. Beautiful, hauntingly so, but with a perfection that was inhuman, crafted and fake. Just for a millisecond Inuyasha felt a crushing pity for Lady Kikyo. Then it disappeared, he knew her better then most, he had been the victim of her mechanisms. While he could find it in his heart to begin to forgive Kagome, Lady Kikyo who had opened the floodgates, stripped him of everything, was a whole other matter.

Ignoring the taunts, he stood straight and tall. Silently he stared at the being before him and very carefully he opened his senses. His ears stood up sharp and focused, trembling as every sound was absorbed, he breathed deeply. The most subtle of scents was picked up and processed. Realization began to dawn, if his trust in his nose and ears was less then a hundred percent he would have questioned his sanity. The Hanyou's golden eyes blinked slowly as he crocked his head to one side, his senses could not be wrong but they had to be wrong, they had to be. He inhaled deeply once again.

Seeing the Hanyou's reaction, the Shikon's countenance darkened further. It would not allow the abomination to contaminate the air even further. Faster than any could process, wasting no more words, the Shikon's energy blasted toward the Hanyou.

Inuyasha saw the blast of energy coming towards him, there was no avoiding the blast, there was no surviving its sheer power.

Time seemed to slow down to the Hanyou, in the background he heard his Alpha roar his name. There were echoes, a chorus of voices calling him. Inuyasha strangely felt his heart swell, so many were calling him. He could never have imagined that, for so long he had imagined himself dying alone, just fading away into nothing. Now it seemed he was noticed, he was cheered and he would actually be missed. He did not want to die!

Seconds split and stretched, as Inuyasha stared at his death. Then to Inuyasha's eyes something else split, the energy surging towards him seemed to separate.

The blast overwhelmed the Hanyou, the sick purple yellow energy field, hit and expanded, blinding all around.

"NOOOOOOO!" The scream rent the air.

The Shikon's scream of denial was met by lips that twisted in a slightly mocking smile.

"Keh!" the overconfident voice of the teenage Youkai floated clearly across the battle field. "You stupid bitch, you couldn't beat me in the dream, what the hell made you think you could beat me here."

Bright purple eyes glared at the puppet that was Lady Kikyo, "Why? Why do you put in so much energy to destroy me? Why do you hurt me?" Inu's lips twisted in pain, "It's time to finish this."

Semi formed wings fluttered excitedly, bright eyes cared not for the Shikon and instead searched for one who was far more important, "Hey Lord Alpha!" The excited voice of the young Seraph called out as he waved widely to draw Sesshoumaru's gaze. "The fireworks are really cool, Pup likes it a lot. Did Lord Alpha organize that for Pup? Pup, is really strong, can you send some more fireworks for Pup to catch and throw away? That was fun!"

The small semi transparent figure was almost jumping in excitement in its place of relative safety just behind the older versions. Inuyasha was the only fully substantial aspect , Inu and Yasha were transparent but strangely substantial figures standing beside him, all three stood protectively before Pup, in his pure Seraph form. They were a beautiful sight.

"That is impossible, impossible. How, how did you stop my blast?" Kikyo yelled with a highly affronted and indigent tone. The Lady was not just stunned she was actually insulted.

Inuyasha blinked at the tone and shrugged, "It split." he said in his usual matter, to him that was an in-depth explanation.

In spite of themselves and the situation many found their lips twisting at the response. "Inuyasha that is NOT an explanation, hasn't Miroku taught you better." Kouga said unable to hide his grin. The Hanyou's presence had changed the battle, everything suddenly felt better. I Kouga's eyes, the energy released by the Hanyou was cleansing, the four figures seemed to stream with light. Faced with that light, the dark malice of the Shikon simply diminished.

Inuyasha did not really react, he kept his focus on the Shikon.

"Inu, explain what transpired." Sesshoumaru ordered, while the words were sharp, there was a softness to the tone of Sesshoumaru's voice that was reserved for the amazing being before them. This was not a time for mystery, if they could not understand how Inuyasha had stopped the blow, it could easily be turned against them. Every advantage had to be used against the Shikon, but they had to know what that advantage was. Sesshoumaru directed the question at the aspect most likely to provide a coherent and complete answer.

"I can see it" Inu replied, his eyes never wavering from the Shikon, his voice was steady and clear. "When it attacked I could see it, the energy of the Shikon. At first it looked like one solid force, but as I looked, it split into four streams of energy. The energy released by the Shikon is not one force, but for distinct streams of energy. So we all came out, and each of us caught and dissipated each stream of energy separately."

That the Shikon attacked with four sources of energy was not unknown. Since the beginning they knew that the Shikon was the perverted energy of the three Dark ones and something else. That is why it required the combined power of the three races to beat the Shikon. But they had all seen the Shikon's attacks as one stream of combined power, none not even the High Kings had ever seen the Shikon's energy as four distinctly separate beams.

"Inuyasha, how can you see that? Do this?" Lady Kaede feeling totally confounded waved at Inuyahsa. "You never had this kind of power, how did you do this, hide this power?"

"Hah!" The Shikon sneered, "The bloody abomination never had this kind of power, if it had I would not have been satisfied to see it grovel in chains as suffer as is its rightful place, I would have destroyed it regardless of the so called limitations the ex-priestess of light put on me. That fool" The Shikon sneered at the one who's body it housed. "Her foolish values, stopped me from killing the abomination when it was a pup, as a slave it was satisfactory, but it never had this power. It was that God's be cursed tree, GinshenBoku, that accursed tree gifted the abomination this ability, and for that betrayal, after we flatten the Western Demon kingdom we will burn the forest to dust." The Shikon could not resist disparaging the abomination. "Do you this this power is enough to allow you to win?" The Shikon laughed, "This is just one attack of many I have, I will shift my energy signature, will the gift of GinsenBoku help you then, abomination? Do you think the gift of the tree is enough for you to kill me? The Shikon-no-Tama?" Cruel and not fully sane laughter poisoned the air.

Inuyasha stared at the Shikon with his normal inexplicable expression. The aspects all took on the exact same look, it was most alien in the usually mobile face of Pup, but as they stood in the outside world, Inuyasha dominated, and they were one.

Slowly Inuyasha shook his head, "No" his voice was soft and measured. "No, with the gift of GinshenBoku I can see your energy split, but that power is not enough to destroy you." At Inuyasha's soft words the army that had been buoyed felt their hearts sink. But Inuyasha continued in the same measured tone, "No the power gifted by Ginshenboku cannot be used to defeat you, trees are not meant for attack after all. No!" Inuyasha's voice turned almost sorrowful "No. the power that I will use to finally destroy you, is not the power gifted by GinshenBoku, it is the power gifted by your blood, by all of your bloods. Bloods that run in my veins, my blood gives me the power to destroy you, Grandsire." The last word was soft, strangely regretful and utterly filled with sorrow.

-TBC-

I contemplated this 500 ways and Im sorry_ BUT IM EVIL! Wishing me dead yet? Muahahaha_ (Internal struggle, manic laughing side gets sit on by calmer ready to type side.) I tried to stop her but she's too powerful, please review to strengthen my good aspect and remember Im on leave soooooo... I may post the next chappie real fast. See not that evil after all.. _Just kidding (evil side takes over).. muahahahahah.._. (Internal struggle...) Good side needs help … review please.. to help.


	34. Battle

Sorry guys somewhat faster. Kindda hesitated when I saw where my muse was going. Thanks for the reviews, and do tell me at the end – have I managed to carve a new realm of pure evil with this?

Unedited cause I wanna give Snowfall a shock! :P

_**Chillhanger and you are soooooo gonna hate me alert.**_

_Read, review and enjoy_

**Chapter 34 : Battle **

"Grandsire!" The word reverberated through the battlefield, all movement stopped as every eye stared, switching their gaze from the Hanyou to the feminine form of the Shikon, unable to comprehend the words.

"You are my Grandnephew!" Kouga said with a strong sense of possessiveness in his words.

"Yes" Inuyasha said quietly, his eyes focused on his enemy. The Hanyou had nothing to add.

"Inu. " Sesshoumaru's voice carried the order. Of all the aspects Sesshoumaru knew that the human aspect would be the most likely aspect to articulate comprehensively what was occurring.

"My Lord, our grandfather Miroku mated with the rebellious daughter of the Seraphim's Dark One. My Shiro-Inu Grandmother Lady Miyaka that ran away to marry the Seraphim Prince Tamahome, was the Grandniece of Demonic Dark one. Finally, my mother Mother Tohru and her whole village were there direct descendents of the Human Dark one. All..all of their dark blood runs in my v-v-veins." The last sentence was said slowly, the weight of the realization settling on the Hanyou. He was the result of the darkest blood to ever contaminate their world. Tainted.

All the aspects never dropped their battle-readiness, but all the aspects shrank into themselves. Pup especially disliking the idea of dark ugly blood inside him, whimpered and pressed close to Inuyasha. Their own words had hurt them, deeply. Minutely, they all leaned towards the Hanyou, relying on strength of their dominant aspect to pull them through.

"Like a lotus in muddy water, each of your Grandparents rose above the prejudice and hate of their environment and reached for love. Inuyasha, born in darkness, each of your closer ancestors fought for the light. Do not shrink back young one, stand tall. To this one, your history makes you all the more special." Kaede's voice rang out, cutting through the darkness of that seemed to want to attach itself to the young Hanyou.

"I would not claim to be related to such an abomination." The Shikon snapped out, "Lotus, yes a weak pathetic flower. That is exactly what the abomination is, the combination of all the weakness that I have strived to dispel from this world. It needs to be destroyed, its blood burned and its ashes buried in salt, so that such an abomination may never walk this earth again." Venom dripped from each word as the Shikon's eyes blazed with hatred. The hatred aimed at the Hanyou was far higher than the hatred that had previously burned it the diamond hard eyes.

The Hanyou was a being that in the Shikon's view not only should not exist, it was anti-thesis to all the Shikon stood for. The abomination was a living, breathing example of everything the Shikon sought to destroy, the harmonious unity of all three races.

The Shikon's awareness had awakened in the cold waters of the ocean on the birth of the abomination. As the babe had been born in the seas, the Shikon had been able to track the exact location of the babe. Its dying parents had floated the baby on a piece of drift wood; they had combined their last energy to send the child to Demon Inu city where it would have been safe. Well should have been safe, the fools had used their energy and died, the Shikon sneered at their weakness. It had laughed at their pathetic assumption, weak sacrificing for the weaker.

The abomination would not be safe, the Shikon attempted to have the sea swallow the babe, but it was newly awakened and too weak to directly impact nature. It would have to deal with the abomination in a different manner, and perhaps a quick, clean death was not something an abomination should have.

The newly awakened Shikon then focused on interfering with the trajectory that its parents had sent the babe on. Instead of the safe city, the Shikon had redirected the babe to a city on the edge of darkness, where its leader's hunger for power would be easily influenced and corrupted. Where its leaders were cold and unwelcoming to other races. Once the babe had been on its way, the Shikon sent its influence to human fishermen, and drew them to it. The fishermen who 'found' the Jewel fought among themselves for ownership of the gem, the winner of the bloody match took the Jewel to his home. The Jewel then influenced a visitor from the City of the West to start a fight with the fisherman, and claim the jewel for himself. Once in the City the jewel influenced its new owner to present it as a gift to the Temple of light, as an act of atonement for the cold blooded murder of the fisherman and his small family. The man had been so overcome with guilt that once he had surrendered the Shikon, he ended his own life at the end of the pier. The Shikon had been pleased with the how magnificently its plan had worked, each blood sacrifice to it, had fed its power.

Once the Shikon had been presented to the temple, the Shikon had attempted to find the abomination. But for some strange reason, the mixed aura of the babe had disappeared. Hidden by the cacophony of energies that made up the slums of the city. The Shikon knew the babe was there, in the slums amongst the filth and garbage where it belonged. The Shikon secure in its own power was content to allow the babe to develop into more tasty a dish to destroy. Its focus thus turned to what it did best, sowing hate and unrest.

It was presented to Lady Kikyo, and the Shikon had begun the long and difficult task of seducing and utterly corrupting the once idealist priestess. Her weakness had been her arrogance that her view was the only right view, that her way was far better then any others. The Shikon had used that belief, feeding it, nurturing it as it slowly groomed the Priestess in to its puppet. When her apprentice had found the abomination, the Shikon would have happily killed the abomination, but the young priestess had pleased with her mistress. The Shikon's influence at the time had just not been enough to overcome Lady Kikyo's affection for her charges. But as the collar was placed on the abomination and its level reduced to a slave, the Shikon had been appeased.

It used individual reactions to the Hanyou slave as a gauge of weakness. Any that should pity were influenced, expelled or in some cases even killed by those whose heart the Shikon owned. The first time the abomination had gone on a rampage, provided the opportunity for the Shikon to claim Lady Kikyo in one quick action, but that blast fat, old priestess had intervened, making Kikyo promise to not kill the abomination for an act that was not its fault. No matter what the Shikon tried after that, it had never been able to make Kikyo break that promise to her sister Priestess Kaede outright. It had sparked the human demon war, had Lady Kikyo act as a key instigator in a war, but the Lady would not break her promise.

As long as the Hanyou had been in the City of Light, Kikyo's determination to wait for the Hanyou to do something evil on its own before killing it, had prevented the Shikon from fully claiming her soul. The Hanyou had never done anything remotely evil on its own, it irritated the Shikon greatly, but other then ensure its punishment, there was nothing else it could do. The abomination unknowingly had prevented the full claiming of Lady Kikyo for many, many years. Then the Hanyou had vanished, been taken by demons, and the human's defeat and embarrassment in the Demon hands had tipped the scale. With no promise to protect her, Lady Kikyo had succumbed to the lust for power and the Shikon had been reborn.

Finally the abomination would be wiped from the face of the earth.

Without warning the ground beneath Inuyasha's feet erupted, burning magma bursting upward. Inuyasha and Yasha both propelled themselves forward, seeking to engage the Shikon directly. Inu gracefully dodged, Pup took to the air or at least tried to, but Pup was pup and unseasoned in direct combat, as fast as he was, the exploding rocks hampered the child and he faltered. He would have fallen, but Inu had been quick to act, catching Pup and in an almost impossible leap, the human aspect took them both to relative safety.

Chaos ensure as the Shikon seemed to replicate itself and attack from many different directions. Forced to break out of formation, Sesshoumaru and Kouga flashed in, destroying the shadows of the Shikon. Lady Kagura and Kaede kept to the periphery sending ranged attacks at the enemy.

The Shikon's barrier around the attack area, was dispersed as the Shikon not only attacked the main warriors it sought to destroy their followers as well. Bankotsu sounded the retreat for the lower levels of the army, how had no chance against the Shikon's aspects. Sub-Lieutenants and corporals led the withdrawal of the more vulnerable forces out of the area. The Majors and Lieutenants worked in pairs to take on the aspects of the Shikon, while the rest attacked individually. It was a commendation of the discipline of the combined forces that none broke rank, all followed orders, understanding that 'help' at the wrong place and the wrong time could be a hindrance.

Inu carefully dropped Pup off at what seemed to be a more protected area, behind their own forces lines. Pup nodded in understanding and ducked behind a small boulder. He was not to engage the Shikon directly. He masked hims presence and began to emit a muted glow as he sent his energy and support to his other aspects. In truth Pup did not like being in the battle, he just wanted to go back to the Sanctuary, but his Inuyasha needed him, so Pup tried to bear with the dirty, dark energy that seemed to want to eat him away and just focused on staying out of the way and supporting the warring aspects. Non-could sense Pup, but unfortunately as he had to send his energy, a careful visual search of the edges of the battlefield would have revealed a rather cute sight or the small Seraphim sneaking a peek as he sent his energy to the aspects that needed it the most at any given moment.

Yasha being hard pressed by three aspects of the Shikon, suddenly flared with power, shattering the aspects with an attack almost double in strength of his earlier ones. Inu dancing around the edges with a sword that Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed upon for a split second, when attacks were launched at him would suddenly double in speed, and just not be at the location of the attack. His sword glowing with spiritual power sliced through the shades of the Shikon cleansing them.

At one point when Sesshoumaru destroyed shades that had sought to attack the human from the back, allowed himself the rare moment of distraction as he wondered at his amazing Beta. "Only human" hardly, Sesshoumaru suspected that his self loathing human Beta, did not recognize the sheer Spiritual energy that it had within. As the human priests had been his enemy, it was logical that the human aspect would try to distance itself from its abilities on a conscious level. However unconsciously in times of battle, his amazing Inu naturally and instinctively used the powers. Weak hah! Sesshoumaru was going to have so much fun later. Golden eyes hardened as Bakunsaiga ripped though a dozen or more shades, death was no longer an option. Defeat and allowing the over-kings to finish was no longer an option.

His Beta was in the battlefield and Sesshoumaru would not allow his Inuyasha to fall. The DaiYoukai's will coalesced, the purity of it seemed to boost his power to a higher level, and in that instant Sesshoumaru's power grew. In power and knowledge both, the DaiYoukai felt himself mature.

He scanned the battlefield as he attacked new shades, and realization hit him. He watched two of Inuyasha's attacks one bolstered by Pup, and the next with the addition of Pup's energy. He was now powerful enough to see the trace energies of the Shikon, and while the shades destroyed by Inuyasha and at least of of his aspects in a combined attack disappeared, all other shades were just scattered by the attacks. The energies reformed moments after they were destroyed.

Sesshoumaru could not afford to shout of the command in battle, the Shikon itself had pressed in many attacks may not have seen the danger to itself. Sesshoumaru gritting his teeth had to cease direct attacks for the moment as he flashed to Inu, and in a low whisper conveyed the new attack plan to the human. "Use your speed and shield, combine your attack with Inuyasha's. Do not leave his side. That is destroying the Shikon." Inu his face a mask of determination, nodded sharply, from the sidelines he flashed to Inuyasha, the semi ethereal form attack itself to its dominant aspect and their attacks became one. Seeing that Pup, focused more of his energy on Yasha, Sesshoumaru noted that while without the dominant aspect as part of the attack it did not destroy the Shikon's shades, the Shikon seemed to feel it more when Yasha and Pup attacked it.

Sesshoumaru flashed to Kouga, his new battle strategy in plan. "Don't kill the shades attacking you, funnel the shades to Inuyasha's strike range. Let the Hanyou destroy most of the shades." Kouga unquestioning changed his attack strategy, and did just that. It was much harder and challenging to move the shades in the direction he wanted rather then simply destroying them, but the Seraphim was up to the challenge. His own power flashing with his will, he put aside his rather prodigious ego and focused on winning the battle. In that he too lost some of his inner barriers and his Seraphic powers grew.

Sesshoumaru flashed to the other side of the field, between him and Kouga, using attacks and shileds, they both herded the shades towards Inuyasha. The Hanyou focused on battle, just did what he had to do, destroying all the shades in his strike range. Kaede and Kaguya both noting the change in the war-leaders attack formation, focused on protecting the Hanyou's back.

It was hardly noticeable at first, but slowly almost impeccably the Shikon began to weaken. As each shade it created was utterly destroyed by Inuyasha's attack the Shikon was being chipped away from the inside. So arrogant was the Jewel, so comfortable in its false belief that while it could be weakened and sent to a dormant state, it could not be destroyed; the Shikon at first did not even realize what was happening. The Hanyou was doing to it what it had done to so many in the past, it was chipping away at the core of the Shikon, eating into the very soul of the Jewel, cleansing rather than corrupting.

Sesshoumaru's plan worked brilliantly. The Shikon was being destroyed, they were slowly and steadily winning.

Sesshoumaru's plan worked brilliantly, too brilliantly perhaps.

As arrogant as it was, even those highly steeped in denial had a sense of self preservation. The Shikon suddenly sensed something was very, very wrong. All the shades disappeared from the battlefield and were pulled back into the reformed body of Lady Kikyo. It blazed with rage, its core strength was half of what it had been, parts of it were no longer there, not dormant – gone. For the first time it was being killed, and the Shikon was not stupid, it knew the attacks that were killing it was those from the Hanyou.

Its energy combined once again, the Shikon had a clear understanding of what was occurring. The combined army however had made one fatal mistake.

Unprepared for the sudden disappearance of the of all the shades, the warriors actually stumbled as their attacks hit nothing. For a moment they were thrown off, scattered. That moment was all the Shikon needed.

The four aspects of the Hanyou were not together, there were not unity.

In that moment, fueled by rage the attack that blasted towards the Hanyou was focused and greater in intensity than the earlier one. The changed bullet headed straight for Inuyasha's heart, time slowed for the Hanyou.

Combined with Inu he could see two of the streams of energy, he could separate and disperse two of the streams, not all. Even as the two began to counter the attack they braced for impact.

The impact never came. Inuyasha till his dying day, would wish that the impact had come, rather then the horror that they all bore witness to.

Only one being on the battlefield had not been engaged in active combat. Only one being watched and responded intently to all that was going on. Only one being had not stumbled in surprise when the shades had vanished. And only that one being had noticed the flaw in their plan the instant the Shikon had. To their eternal regret that one being had acted.

He flashed between Inuyasha and the Shikon's bullet, that was already unraveling under Inuyasha's counterattack. But the bullet still had a great deal of killing energy. In spite of the strongest barriers placed on him, the bullet was still too powerful.

It ripped through his barriers and hit him straight in the chest. He absorbed and dispersed the energy as much as he could, before the absolute pain hit him. He knew he had saved Inuyasha, but he screamed in pain as his world seemed to go black.

Feathers filled the air, instead of the bullet, a body hit Inuyasha. In a reflexive move the Hanyou caught the limp form.

For this first time ever, tears rolled down Inuyasha's cheeks.

Twin screams from Inu and Yasha filled the air. "Noooo! Pup!"

-tbc-

****_Ducks behind concrete bunker_**. So did you guess? Gah! I have no words at myself – review please.


	35. Inside the Shikon-No-Tama the heart of

Dear all, a thousand apologies but I was being creative in real life and effectively having two full time jobs. Suffice to say the energy to write went to zero. Things have been going well with RL stuff and I am currently on holiday. And guess what the energy to write came back came back. A 5000 word chapter and basically unedited. So if you have specific problems please message me.

A million billion thanks to all those who kept up the reviews and the support. Though I was not writing reading the reviews kept me going. It really truly helps.

So please read, review and ENJOY!

**Chapter 35 : Inside the Shikon-No-Tama.. the heart of evil?**

Sesshoumaru's heart froze as the tiniest version of his Beta went limp in the Hanyou's arms. The whole front of the little Seraphim's top was painted in blood. Tears that rolled down the Hanyou's cheeks dropped onto the unresponsive slack face. In that moment Sesshoumaru understood clearly the meaning of the words helpless. Nothing, there was nothing he could do to undo this.

Laughter filled the air. "Foolish, the weak protecting the weaker! Abomination I will wipe you and your copies from the face of the earth. You are nothing, an abomination that has no right to live. You should never have existed!" The Shikon's words dripped with gloating satisfaction and power. The abomination's pain was a heady drug to the jewel.

"No right? No RIGHT to live? Inuyasha has no right to live?" Kouga's voice shook with emotion, "Look around you fucking piece of insanity. You trapped Inuyasha for years, we have had him for months, but look around you. Look at how many support and stand for him. Inuyasha belongs, Inuyasha is wanted, needed. It is you Shikon, you with your archaic belief that has no right to live." Kouga threw blasts at the Shikon as he spoke and flashed close to the Shikon, insanely close. His moves were intended to distract, to take the focus away from the Hanyou. To give Inuyasha the time he needed to get away.

"It is alright, Lord Kouga." A strange chorus like voice said softly, steadily. "Step back, this is our battle."

Inu and Yasha stood beside Inuyahsa, the unmoving body of Pup cradled in his arms. Inu placed his right hand on Inuyahsa's shoulder and Yasha mirrored the action. "We separated to survive, but ultimately we are one." Inuyasha held Pup close to him and the small body became translucent and it dissolved back into Inuyasha. Kouga's relief was palatable, moving faster than most could see he flashed out of range just ahead of the Shikon's blasts.

As reassuring as the words were, while the other were consoled, Sesshoumaru could not rejoice. He knew his Beta. No one else could even see it but to Sesshoumaru his Beta's energy seemed to scream out its loss to him. If they had not been in battle the bravery displayed by his Beta while it filled him with pride, the pain would have been unbearable.

As it was the Demon Lord shook off his concern and narrowed his concern to the battle at hand. He would deal with the Shikon, and only them would he learn of Pup's fate. Sesshoumaru had no idea what Inuyasha had planned, but there was something more focused about his Inuyasha, there was something different, something dangerous. Sesshoumaru felt his figurative heckles rise in preparation, it was time. Every instinct of the Alpha's being screamed to protect his Beta, to stop the Shikon from harming is treasure further. It was a will of iron, the determination of a true leader that only just held Sesshoumaru back. Inuyasha was right, this was his battle. Even the Overkings have only managed to put the Shikon into a dormant state, they had never come close to actually destroying it. Now, in this battle, Inuyasha was destroying the Shikon, if they let it escape, it would avoid meeting Inuyasha in direct battle. It would be years before they had another chance and too many of their people would die in a protracted battle. They had to finish this now, they had to destroy the Shikon.

Whatever Inuyasha needed to finish the battle Sesshoumaru would provide it. As he flashed into position behind his Beta, the Demon Lord's lips twisted into a facsimile of a smile had no humor in it just grim determination.

While it was interesting the secondary position that he was taking in this battle held no appeal for the Demon Lord. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the battlefield. They had to throw everything they had at the Shikon. More power was needed. In any other circumstances one major factor would have stopped this action, but in this case his Beta's success came before anything, even his own ego. In his mind's eye Sesshoumaru reached through the connection that had been there since before his birth. He had never done this before, he had never needed to, no matter how bad the situation got he had never even considered using this option. Now for his Beta's safety he would.

"_This is a surprise, usually it is I that needs my little brother's energy." _Sesshoumaru twin's energy and voice flowed in a wave into him. Without questions or explanation more energy than Sesshoumaru would have expected flowed into him. His sister was draining herself down to her reserves, she was giving him much more than he ever gave her. The silent question whispered through the link. "_This KamiShiro knows her brother, you would not have asked me for help unless you can beat the Shikon or your cute Beta is in danger. Ahh both are true. Take my energy and finish this little brother"_

Just like then the connection severed as the princess dropped in exhaustion. The whole conversation had taken as long as Sesshoumarutook to take a breath and as he took a second one within him was not the power of one Shiro-InuDaiYoukai but two.

The demon lord began to glow there would be no more distractions. Sesshoumaru used the extra energy to expand his youki. Seeing what Sesshoumaru was doing Kouga, Lady Kaede and Lady Kaguya stepped into the circle. All sent a little bit of their power into the barrier, strengthening it and adding the combined synergistic power of the three races into the barrier. No one else would be allowed inside the barrier and perhaps more importantly all four would have to be dead before the barrier allowed the Shikon to escape. This was their end game, there would be no redo's, no escape.. not for the four of them at least. As they harmonized their powers with Sesshoumaru, they all understood his intention. If they were failing, the Hanyou would be ejected. If it was at all possible the Shikon destroying Hanyou would be protected to fight another day. Any of the four still standing would use a final strike in the enclosed space to contain the Shikon while they ejected the Hanyou from the shield.

Inuyasha would have been shocked if he knew, but the Hanyou focused on his enemy was oblivious of everything. He had reabsorbed Pup but there was something different, something lost. And Inuyasha had no time to focus on his pain, this was not the time to mourn or heal. This was the time for battle and the Hanyou's focus on the Shikon was complete.

The combatants faced each other, the Shikon sneered at the blank Hanyou and his aspects. "Your comrades are foolish instead of attacking me they protect the useless weak around them. Do you not see how this world is broken? How by nurturing weakness you dilute the strength of all? The path you all walk leads to nothing but destruction. In your heart you know I speak true. You are an abomination. Your life was bought at the death of your parents, at the death of your grandparents. Do you know the kinds of experiments your great grandmother conducted to conceive such a putrid creature of mixed blood? How many she slept with, how many she killed to create a child that nature itself deemed unworthy of birth? Your very existence is a testimony to degradation. Allow yourself to be cleansed Hanyou and this world will be cleansed with you!"

The Shikon's voice was pure in its conviction, its bearing was proud and each word delivered with the force of a sledge hammer.

The four in the bubble who heard the poisonous words flinched. Rage filled Sesshoumaru, the Alpha howling a the insults to his Beta. But losing one's temper in a battle of this level meant losing the battle itself. He could not afford the luxury of anger and he forced it back.

Inuyasha did not blink. His ears twitched violently but otherwise his face was serene. "I have no control of the acts of others. If nature rejected me, the tree of time would not have welcomed me home. I know who I am GrandSire and I know the sister of my Grandmother. Such a fine woman would not have stood by a sister who conducted terrible acts. I am my Alpha's Beta, which means my worth is more than even I will ever know." Though Inuyasha's voice had no inflection, the words delivered almost emotionlessly, his comrades were comforted beyond words. Kouga even took a moment to groan to himself. That blasted ice-prince's ego would be astronomical after this. Well the Seraphim would just have to work harder at keeping him humble.

Power gathered around the Shikon, it was not a bullet of energy, this time it was a wave of force sent at the Hanyou, a crushing pressure with the powers of the Shikon inside it. The power did not reach Inuyasha, his own aura extended out as he created a barrier a few feet in front of him. Irresistible force met the force of an immovable objected, the two powers pushed against each other. The ground cracked rose and was disintegrated. The Hanyou was however still standing when the attack suddenly cut out. Without even taking a breath Inuyasha launched a counter attack, blood ejected from his fingertips. Millions of blood particles made of the combined elements of the three races became small diamond hard projectiles.

The projectiles blasted the Shikon and though the cursed gem was able to block most of the attack, Lady Kikyo's arms, body and face were scratched by the projectiles. Over two dozen bleeding marks appeared on her body.

"Is that all you can do abomination?" The Shikon though bleeding laughed mockingly. 'You have nothing more powerful? You are a child, hardly trained, you seek to defeat me? Pathetic!"

Inuyasha did not reply, Inu and Yasha by his side were equally unreadable, their arms merged with their dominant aspect. Inuyasha's aura began to glow purple, power surged at the points of his fingers where he had launched the blood attack. He suddenly clawed the air in front of him, bringing his finger tips together.

The purple energy at his fingertips combined and the Shikon screamed.

The blood particles that entered lady Kikyo's body glowed purple, they grew and spread like a cancer. Each blood-drop was a tiny aspect of the Hanyou, each separate particle sought its fellows, sought to be one again. Across lady Kikyo's skin, through the body each purple aspect sought its numerous counterparts. Outside his mind space what the Shikon said was true. Inuyasha was not skilled enough, not experienced enough, and not powerful enough to destroy the Shikon in a fight. So he had devised the best way to fight the Shikon was to turn the tables, to fight on the inside of the Shikon, and destroy the gem the way it had long sought to destroy him, from the inside out.

The four were stunned as what they assumed would be a physical battle became a pure battle of will. Inuyasha stood glowing in purple trying to force his hands together. Inu and Yasha both merged into Inuyasha's arms giving the Hanyou more strength. The Shikon had stopped screaming instead its energy was focused inward. It attempted to overcome the abomination's blood inside itself. The Shikon glowing in a dark dirty red and the violet encased Hanyou stood a dozen feet from each other in a silent battle.

Inuyasha's will was unfaltering, he tried to force his blood to combine. But the cognitive and emotive function of will had to be supported by physical strength and youki. To complete the attack Inuyasha had to symbolically combine his palms bringing the energies together. Inuyasha's arms began to tremble from the strain. Sweat dripped down his face, his will forced his flagging muscles and his fluctuation Youki to serve him. To hold out against the focused power of the Shikon. Inuyasha did not falter, he intensified the attack as he slowly forced his hands closer.

Instead of just trying the force the abomination's blood out of it, the Shikon counterattacked. It blasted each aspect inside it with all the negative emotions, memories and darkness that it had collected over the long eons. Emotions of depression, despair and fear that sapped the will were channeled though the tiny aspects into the Hanyou. Grief, disgust and pain wormed their way into the Hanyous heart, seeking and finding cracks, widening the wounds and making them bleed. The absolute darkness of loneliness self loathing and defeat beat at Inuyasha, he was fighting alone against an ancient foe. A foe that had consumed more lives than the young Hanyou had even met. The darkness that sought its way into Inuyasha was incomprehensible, overwhelming.

The young Hanyou faltered his new found confidence crumbling at the onslaught. The weight of the ancient attack was too much for him to bear. Blood leaked down the side of his mouth as his fangs cut into his flesh under the pressure. Colors danced in front of his eyes.

Just as he was about to fall steel arms came around, holding him up. Power pulsed as Sesshoumaru held his beta up. Kouga took hold of Inuyasha's right forearm while Kaede supported by Kaguya took his left. All focused and set energy into the Hanyou. The power of the three races flowed into Inuyasha, he took the three strands of power and weaved them together, combining the three with Inuyasha own personal energy. Inuyasha's personal energy was unlike any other energy that had ever existed on the planet, almost depleted by the collar, his personal energy was what Ginshenboku had touched. That energy that was unique to the Hanyou had been rejuvenated by the tree of time as an affirmation that nature and the earth accepted and welcomed the mixing of the races that the earth had birthed so long ago.

Renewed Inuyasha pushed back the Shikon's attack. The Shikon was full of half truths and twisted realities. Yes there was sadness, darkness and pain in the world, but when one walk through it, when one survived the challenges placed before them, when one journeyed through hell… there was redemption, there was love. The was hope, laughter and friendship. There was beauty and nature and above it all there was the will that one has to persist, to fight and to win. This great jumble of emotions, met the Shikon's attack and overwhelmed it.

Without pause, Inuyasha sent the woven energy into his blood aspects. He pushed it back. He created a path through the Shikon, he pushed past barriers to the dark core of the Shikon. The Jewel was in Kikyo's Heart pulsating and dark. Tendrils of Inuyasha's energy wrapped around the gem, the powers pushed against each other and the Gem cracked.

:8 :P :) :D

Inuyasha's world dissolved and he found himself alone surrounded by dark red and black lights. Inuyasha could see three beings standing in a triangle around him. They glared balefully at him, their energies, their hatred was almost a living force. They spoke together, but unlike the harmonizing of Inuyasha's aspects these voices was disjointed, cacophonous, almost an assault on the hearing. "You are of my loins, why does one with so powerful bloodline stand in opposition to what is right?'

Inuyasha looked around, all three had asked the question from themselves. . "Whom should I support? I have all you bloods whom should I support?"

"You should support me! The others are weak!" The three said in their strange anti-unison voices. Inuyasha did not reply he just looked at them and shrugged in response. The malice of the three washed across the Hanyou, only this time the energies were aimed at each other. "Weak! Pathetic! Slave!" The words ran out, Inuyasha could not tell who was speaking, the words rang echoed around him.

"What have you achieved?" Inuyasha's soft voice cut across the din. The three stopped and stared at him aghast at the question. 'You took the people to war, you created hatred, over and over again. You have tried to destroy the races, but each time you have failed. So in all these years what have you achieved?'

'I achieved purity. I destroy the weak. I create dissent and force the races to fight to destroy each other until only the strongest remain." The voices responded strongly.

'No." Inuyasha replied slowly. "No, each time you have awakened the races that were tolerating and ignoring each other had to stand together to fight you back. You sowed seeds of dissent amongst those who already had animosity against unity. At the end of your wars those who would have agreed with you the most died. The peoples survive because the strongest are the OverKings. The leaders who have sworn to not involved themselves in petty quarrels among districts and only involved themselves in major wars are the strongest. They have stood against you time and time again. They have won. They are the strongest, their blood leads the peoples of all races. Your blood turned against you. Your blood choose love over hate and ultimately, your blood has been protected and cared for by the seeds of the Overkings. All you have achieved is to make the bonds between the three races stronger."

Inuyasha could not remember using so many words at once, but it was needed. He could not use power or strength to fight in this place. This was a sanctuary very much like his own. The only way to destroy a sanctuary was to destroy the belief, the faith that lay in the building of the sanctuary.

"Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! You are wrong! You lie! You are wrong!" The words swirled like a tornado around Inuyasha. Seconds, minutes or hours Inuyasha had no sense of time as the three tested and challenged his words. Inuyasha stood certain and sure in the eye of the hurricane he had created, still. He waited and watched.

The hurricane began to slow, flashed of history passed before Inuyasha's eyes. The dark ones were in doubt testing the truth of the Hanyou's words. They saw their history for the first time though the eyes of another. They saw the impact of their actions and the core of truth in the Hanyou's words. Their own actions kept forcing the races to work together. Every time apathy had made the races drift apart, the Shikon had awakened, sowed descent among the minority and weaker groups and ultimately had forced the overkings and the people to come together to defeat their combined foe. The Shikon's own existence was destroying its mission.

The being went quiet. The stillness was oppressive and all movement ceased.

Then they screamed. Over and over again the beings screamed. Inuyasha pressed his palms to his ears, the screams were deafening. Cracks of light appeared. In the darkness around Inuyasha. The screams got louder and louder, sheer madness seemed to fill the sanctuary.

A green flame appeared in front of Inuyasha. It enveloped him, pulling him into the inner sanctuary of the Shikon. The being that greeted Inuyasha was a young lady, her skin of made of different patches of earth colors, her hair various shades of green, her eyes a molten red, she was the embodiment of the earth that made up the final soul in the Shikon-no-tama.

"You are destroying us." She said softly.

"No, you are destroying yourself." Inuyasha replied matching the softness.

"Am I no longer needed? Am I to vanish from the Earth, the earth that birthed me as well?'

"No, there will always be those that seek to be the only ones. Some will always make a home for your spirit."

"Would it not be better if there was only one race? If we were all there same? Would it be better if the world was united as one people, one belief system? Would there not be peace?"

"No, people like to be special. If not one reason they will find another to fight. There will always be reasons for war, as being the same is not the goal of the people. Even without the ineffective actions of the Shikon there will always be a place for you."

The being reached out and touched Inuyasha's cheek, the Hanyou instinctively suppressed his shudder. The being was made up of the parts of nature that fed on the dead and the dying. The parts that poisoned, that ate away at the healthy and destroyed in order to survive. While it felt disgusting it was wholly natural and Inuyasha felt an attraction to the being similar to that he felt from Ginshenboku. He inhaled and purposefully leaned forward into the beings touch. It smiled and gently ran its fingers down Inuyasha's cheek and cupped his jaw.

"You did well young one, to accept my touch, to understand what I am. You do well indeed." Its fingers gently caressed Inuyasha's jaw in slow measured movements, "Are you not angered by what I caused, do you not hate me for all the suffering you experienced? Without me after all the Shikon would never have existed, it never would have created the situation where you were tortured, where you were pained?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Nature is nature. It is the intention behind the use of nature that creates pain. It is the nature of the three to use everything and anything to maintain power. What happened to me is over. There is really no point in getting worked up over stuff that happened in the past is there?"

"That you really mean what you say is as impressive as it is a little unnerving. Young one the words you spoke earlier are acceptable. I will indeed always have a place and we cannot live in the past." The being retraced Its touch as it took a step back. "The will of the three drew me to them. Even as the earth disliked their ideas, they are our children and they too have a place in this world, in nature. So we answered their powerful will, and I allowed the Shikon to be built around me. But it is their will has it kept this sanctuary together. You have broken that will young one, they are uncertain for the first time in the gem's existence. Perhaps you are right the tmie of the Shikon it seems has passed. Very well young one, I will leave the races to their own devices. You now have my permission to destroy this sanctuary and this gem."

The eyes of the being went bright, its body began to dissolve. It smiled at Inuyasha as it disintegrated right before the Hanyou eyes. Rather absently Inuyasha was glad that he had seen so much in his short life, else the view of something dissolving and smiling at him, may have given him some serious nightmares. The beings eyes were the last things to dissolve into the crystal around it, and Inuyasha finally had to look away. When he looked back the area where the being had dissolved into began to shimmer in invitation. The area looked like the shimmer on the top of a lake at sunset.

Inhaling deeply, Inuyasha put his palms over his sensitive nose and hopped into the shimmering pool. As he feel through, inner sanctuary simply folded into itself. Without fanfare the core that had kept the Shikon-no-Tama alive for so many centuries just dissolved, merging back into the earth.

Inuyasha floated into the edge of an all out war. Without its sanctuary the three souls suddenly seemed to realize whom they were 'stuck' with. The hatred and rivalry was unleashed on themselves, and the three were battling each other. Battling as they had for so long, battling to the end.

The explosions and fire all around the battle field blocked most of the Hanyou's view. Inuyasha was not powerful enough to even track any of the attacks of the battle. He stayed where he was above and to the side, a silent witness to the Shikon-No-Tama's final war.

Energy built up in the middle of the battlefield. Inuyasha's eyes widened. He had enough time to put up the strongest barrier he could around him, when the battlefield exploded.

Somehow Inuyasha had expected to be ejected back into the real world when the force of the blast pushed him back and knocked him senseless for a moment. Inuyasha was disappointed when he regained consciousness and he was still above the battlefield. He scanned the area and realized he had perhaps one last task to do.

The three dark ones lay in a triangle, as the Hanyou approached he could see that they were slowly disintegrating. They had destroyed each other.

Inuyasha went to the human being first. The shadow surround it disappeared and Inuyasha looked into the face of his human many times over Grandfather. Inuyasha could not allow Inu or any of the aspects to rise in this area, instead he projected an illusion, so to the eyes of the human, it would see only Inu.

'My great-grandchild." The human dark one whispered slowly. "I did this for you. They are too powerful, the Demons and the Seraphim are too powerful. If we allow them to flourish they will enslave us humans. I had to stop them. Are you flourishing? Is my family doing well?"

Being inside the Shikon, Inuyasha wondered how much each individual part actually knew of the world. Inuyasha could find no anger in himself, just an overwhelming sense of pity and loss.

"Your family is fine, villages and cities and populated by humans, we are strong and we are free. Humans are no one's slave, GrandSire we are free and we always will be." As he said it Inuyasha reached out and lightly touched the weak shaking fingers. "You have done well Grandsire, you can rest now."

The ancient being nodded, it was tired. It looked at its Grandchild's human face. A sense of satisfaction washed over the dark human. This is what it had been fighting for, a future for humanity. It must have won, all these years of confused darkness. Has it been ten years, a hundred or a thousand, time had no meaning. He had sacrificed everything to the darkness, to the fight. As he looked at his grandchild he knew he had won. His grandchild would pick up the fight, he would keep humans free. It was time to rest.

With that the human dark one died, disintegrating back into the cosmos.

Inuyasha stood up slowly and transformed as he walked to the Dark Seraphim. The shadow coating it disappeared in Inuyasha's presence. The body was in an awkward position, and Inuyasha reached down and picked up the body of the Dark Seraphim. It was light and the wings were broken, almost featherless. Inuyasha rested the upper body of the Seraphim on his knee.

"Do you hate me? I did what I had to do, for my people, my race. But my daughter your grandmother she hated me for it. I was loved by my people but my daughter hated me. She could not see how her coveting around with the Demons, how her behavior weakened us. Humans were nothing, but the demons they were our enemy. The Demons killed my parents, they started the war. I had to avenge my parents death, I had to destroy the demons. But my daughter disagreed, she fell in love with the enemy. Demons stole my parents and then my daughter from me. She hated me. Did she teach my grandchild to hate me as well?"

Pain and a deep sadness rested beside the indomitable will and fierce determination in the Seraphim's eyes.

"No GrandSire, she taught us to love not to hate." Inuyasha replied, his fingers reached out to stroke the broken wings. "She was happy."

The was no smile in the old hard face, but a sense of peace came into the deep eyes. "That is good." The dark Seraphim whispered softly as his eyes closed and the Seraphim too disintegrated

Inuyasha was beginning to understand why he was the only one who could do this, the only being who could destroy the Shikon-no-tama. Inuyasha changed the illusion around him once again. Destroy, no not destroy, his last task was not to destroy the Shikon.

Inuyasha knelt beside the final aspect of the Shikon-no-tama, his demonic hair falling around the final Dark one in a gentle curtain. He waited silently.

The dark Demon's eyes scanned Inuyasha, like the others it saw the illusion, sensing the blood ties it accepted it as the truth. The being before him was a pure blood of her direct blood lines, a Grandchild.

"The humans were like a cancer, so many of them. They destroy everything without considering more than their short life spans. There was a vast jungle at the edge of our lands, when the humans came, to build their cities, to keep their growing numbers happy, they destroyed everything. All the plants, all the animals, all the small settlements were destroyed by the greedy humans. They would not stop. The Seraphim would not listen. We had to stop them. We had to curb their evil. We had only one planet and it had to be ours, so there would be forests where our young ones could play. So we could keep it safe." The ancient female reached out to touch the bangs on Inuyasha's hair.

"The Seraphim killed my mate, and when my pups were born I sent them to safety. And we went to war, for you. For my children, to keep them safe. To create a world where they would be safe. So many died on my hands and I while I drown in their blood, I would kill millions more to keep the world safe for my children."

"We are safe GrandMother. The Shiro Inu Youkai are strong and powerful. You kept the world safe for your children." Inuyasha whispered the words of comfort. The ancient Inu gestured to him, and he leaned forward. Ancient lips gently touched his forehead.

"Be well and be strong my most beloved Grandchild." The final benediction of the Shikon-No-Tama whispered through Inuyasha. The Dark Demon vanished, and with her the walls of the Shikon began shimmer and slowly break apart.

Inuyasha felt himself lose consciousness, destroy the Shikon. No his last task had not been to destroy the Shikon-no-tama. His last task, the task only he could do, was to give the last remnants of the dark ones peace. To allow being twisted by pain and evil to finally rest. To touch the core purpose in the dark ones, the purpose that had never been about evil, but had been about the misguided salvation of their races. To touch that core and give them some reassurance that their race was strong and their sacrifice had not been in vain.

Inuyasha task had been to sooth the powerful will of the Dark Ones, to make them believe they had won, and in doing so finally put down their weapons and rest.

With the will powering it finally resting, the Shikon-No-Tama disappeared from the world.

-tbc-

Well hope you liked the twists and turns in it…what happened to Pup? Good question. When Inuyasha has a minute of peace I'm sure he will tell me.. oh wait… maybe I better ask Inu.

Oh Ive been travelling around the USA in conference and for a workshop. Has been an amazing trip. USA is a good place to visit, but I will be glad to be heading home soon. Hugs and love to all. Review pretty please.

Oh and before you ask yes I will be updating Serpants and Dog Demons as well. Lots of love AjjSunHawk.


	36. Recovery

Thank you so much for the support. Finally got the chapter out, I really am not very good at finishing my stories it's such a sad thing to do. This is not the last chapter but close.

Anyway read, review and as always enjoy.

Chapter : Recovery

The four leaders found themselves blown away from Inuyasha. The strange force had even managed to get between Sesshoumaru's arms and jerk them from around his Beta throwing the Shiro-Inu Youkai back with the most force. The growling DaiYoukai flipped back on his feet and would have rushed to his Beta's side when his heart quelled with an alien fear.

Inuyasha and the Kikyo-filled Shikon were both engulfed In a strange cloud of shimmering darkness and silver. The cloud was thick and pulsing with an energy such of which they had never seen before. Sesshoumaru collected his power to blast at the darkness, nothing would keep him from his Beta.

"Hold!" Shri Kaguya's voice rang out, suddenly she understood why Suijin had insisted one of them needed to be there. It had not been to strengthen Kouga, that had been a side benefit. The reason she was here was for this, to stop any interference in what had probably been destined to be the final stand of the Shikon-no-Tama long before any of them had been born. Perhaps it was inevitable since the formation of the Jewel itself.

All Seraphim who made it to the level of the Shri were privilege to witness the private records of the Seraphic Over-kings. With their power of illusion, the Seraphim not only had a written knowledge of history they had a visual record of it, a record only Shri's were privileged to witness.

"Hold Lord Sesshoumaru!"Shri Kaguya repeated, her voice as firm as it was awed. "What you see is not an attack by the Shikon-no-Tama, what you see is the judgment of this earth itself. The same thing occurred when the original OverKings called the earth to judge. Do not attack it; this is as it should be. Perhaps, as it must be."

"Will Inuyasha be alright?" Kouga demanded, Sesshoumaru was grinding his teeth too tight to ask the question himself.

"I do not know, Prince Kouga." Shri Kaguya looked at the two and shrugged helplessly. "It depends on the Earth's judgment, I honestly just do not know."

"So are we just supposed to stand here? To wait?" Keade voiced their collective frustration.

"Yes." The Shri said flatly, and that was the last word said for a long time.

:) :( :X :P

The black and silver cloud as suddenly as it appeared, lifted and dissolved. I lone figure with slightly longer than shoulder length hair stood alone swaying in the breeze. Golden eyes, carrying what seemed to be the weight of the whole world looked at them and blinked slowly.

"My Lords, it is done." Inuyasha's voice dripping with exhaustion carried clearly in the breeze. The Hanyou tried to smile but the attempt drained the very last of his energy and he pitched forward, in the waiting arms of his Alpha.

Kouga dispersed the barrier around them and the awaiting army stood silent at the sight of Lord Sesshoumaru holding the unmoving Hanyou.

"We have won! The Shikon is defeated." Lord Sesshoumaru announced. Instead of cheers silence met his words. Worried eyes were trained on the unmoving figure in Sesshoumaru's arms. The Lord could not stop his lips from turning upward, as silent and as quite as his Beta was, somehow the ex-slave had found a way into the heart of most of his people.

"He breathes. My Beta is alive. He has destroyed the Shikno-no –Tama." Sesshoumaru stated rather proudly, and the cheers that followed the statement was deafening. As joyous as it was, the cheering died down almost immediately. There were too many dead, too many hurt and too many lives destroyed in the battle for this to be a clear victory. The army was rejoicing, but it was a silent joy as they collected their wounded and dead, captured the surrendering members of the Shikon's army and had a look at the carnage left behind.

With the agreement of the other leaders, Sesshoumaru his Beta in his arms, orbed home, leaving General Bankotsu in charge of the Demons.

:D :D :D :D

In the days that followed the celebrations of the win spread throughout the whole country. The relief was palatable, and the Lords were summoned to the palaces of the High Kings to celebrate. The people were celebrating, but Sesshoumaru had turned down the invitation to the Palace of the Kings. The only place that was not celebrating was Lord Sesshoumaru's palace.

For the Hanyou had yet to awaken.

Inuyasha lay silent and unmoving in Sesshoumaru's room. For the last five days nothing that Jeninji, the Seraph healers or Miroku had done made any impact on the young one. His consciousness seemed locked away, and he lay silent and still in bed. Far from victorious celebrations, the feeling of almost depression lay heavy on the palace. They had no idea what to do, except avoid Sesshoumaru, Jeninji and Miroku two of the three reacted rather violently to any real or imagined slight. Even then it was probably better than being drowned in the tears of the horse Hanyou at any small emotional matter.

It was a tough time.

On the sixth morning, the mirror alarms rang long and long, an unauthorized incoming had everyone including the irate demon lord and cupid rushing to the main mirror area.

Sesshoumaru felt his temper rise at the intrusion on his vigil, then he sensed a familiar presence and the anger turned to first annoyance than irritation. As the figures emerged in the mirror, even that disappeared and a slight feeling of awe filled him. He had sensed his sister of course, but he had not expected to see his Lord High King father step regally through the mirror. Sesshoumaru was the first to shake his stunned awe at this unexpected arrival and dropped to a knee in respect. His people followed suit, stunned by the sudden arrival of the High King of the Demon Lands and his heir apparent.

"Rise, my son, It is I who should bow to your success this past days." The powerful and deep voice carried like a wave through the room.

"I did not fight alone father, even My beloved sister played a part. But the one most responsible for our success still lies stricken. He is my Beta High King and even your summons cannot make me leave his side." Sesshoumaru's voice was paced and cool, the underlying stress only clear to his family and those close to him.

The High King reached out and clasped his son's shoulder. That was all the affection showed between them, but it was enough. Sesshoumaru felt some of the tremendous burden he had been shouldering somehow ease in his father's presence.

"Your Beta is why we are here," the High King said with a smile. "The others will be here awing by noon time you had best prepare."

'Others, what others?" Sesshoumaru asked getting to his feet.

"Why the other High Kings of course, dear brother. We figured we would arrive early to give you the ample warning of two hours that the High Kings of the Humans and the Seraphim are on their way. And do make sure you have suitable rooms and accommodation ready." Sesshoumaru's sister said with a slight smile.

Everyone paled, Sesshoumaru looked sharply at Kagura and nodded. The Commander her face a pastel white quickly and quietly started issuing commands. Bankusen'O stepped up to the High King and from his quick nod at Sesshoumaru the Demon Lord was assured his father would be well cared for. It was like the war all over again, from the oppressive silence the palace was suddenly bustling with activity.

Sesshoumaru fell into step just behind his sister.

"Why did you not warm me?" He asked almost silently.

"I was told not to. This Kamishiro was not told of this until this morning." She replied just as silently.

"Why do the High Kings gather here? I am not in the mood to celebrate sister."

"Yes I can see that, but not even I know not the will of the High Kings. Bear with it brother, father will not say more. But he does not plan to stay long. He cannot afford to."

"That is a blessing." Sesshoumaru said between ground teeth, as much as he loved his father they were a distraction he did not welcome.

After that, Sesshoumaru had little time for anything as they prepared for the arrival of their 'guests'.

The whole palace seemed to congregate on the landing as the Seraphim, some carrying human sky carriages winged towards them.

The High Kings and the High Queens of the Humans and the Seraphim had arrived.

The hustle and bustle of greeting and formalities again took a few hours. The High Kings gave praise, gifts and prizes to those who played big and small roles in the battle. The posthumous recognitions were especially meaningful to the people, and while he could not resent the comfort that his people got from the High Kings actions the hours away from his Beta increasingly frustrated Sesshoumaru.

"It's time, my son." Sesshoumaru's father said suddenly, the Kings and Queens all stood up immediately. "This session is now over good citizens, on the morrow we will have a proper celebration. For now please leave." The people were surprised but they bowed and quickly filed out, leaving only those of the inner circle in the main room.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, We realize that you felt what we were doing was frivolous, necessary but frivolous." The High Queen of the Seraphim said in a melodic voice waving aside any polite protest, "However we were awaiting the twilight hour, it is now time. Take us to your Beta." The words were not a request it was a command.

The entourage moved swiftly to the main room where the silent Inuyasha lay, watched over by Jeninji. The horse Hanyou was surprised by the sudden intrusion of the High Kings and in the inner court into the previously silent room.

The Horse Hanyou quickly scrambled away from the bed, the Kings nodded at the healer, and then their focus went to the silent one on the bed. The three kings each took position around the bed, their wives beside them. KamiShiro stood next her father in place of her dead mother.

The High King of the humans spoke first addressing the unconscious Hanyou. "Young one the legacy of your blood is appreciated, your role has been unique. Due to the sacrifices of your forefathers, you were born to do what no other could. I call on the power of your ancestors, I call on your human blood. I High King Azarsi call on you. Respod!" The human High King standing on the right glowed white, his spiritual power swirled around him.

"Our Ancestors fought, they were the reason of the High Kings being born. Shared past, shared burden. We have walked from the past, into the present. We fought your ancestors and now we welcome you as comrade-in-arms, we will go with you into a new future. I High King KuraganaIchi call on the power of shared memory, the power of shared history, the potential of a bring future. I summon your Seraphim blood. Respond ." A rainbow of light stream-out out of the Seraphim King, his wings unfurled at the end of the bed spreading protectively around the still figure.

"You on your own, have won the hearts of many. You were protected, but slipping pass your protectors, you became the salvation of all around you. You have won love and respect from members of all three races. For being you, for standing tall, for fighting hard, for your honor, I High King Inutaiso call on your Demonic blood. Respond!" Lightning, fire and wind crackled in the room.

The whole are pulsed with power. The High Kings did not move, their auras swirled around them.

The Queens and Princess in a graceful more stepped between the High Kings and the bed. They did not touch but their auras enveloped the females before them. There was silence for a long moment as the ladies eyes closed in meditation.

Then their eyes snapped open, and the power of the kings swirled in their eyes. They spoke in a harmonic unison. "We are the earth. We are the mother. We are the sister. We are power. We bring life to the plant, we are part of the plant. All life is connected, we come from the earth and we will return to her warm embrace. Your presence is required here, and not in the heart of the Earth. From the depth of sleep, from the embrace of your mother, we call you to return." Their hands reached out, the blankets, the cloth simply dissolved and three pairs of feminine hands were placed on the still body. "By blood, by History, by personal glory you are summoned, by the High Kings you are summoned, by the power of the earth you are summoned. We call on you, Respond! INUYASHA!"

Inuyasha's body glowed, the bed rocked. Light seemed to explode and immediately contract back into its centre. Then there was silence.

"Awww.. Heavens its bright. Did I over-sleep?" A slightly drowsy and confused voice croaked from the bed. His fingers rubbing at his eyes, Inuyasha half sat up on the bed.

"Inuyasha!" The Hanyou was suddenly in the middle of what felt like a storm of people. But one main arms he would always know went securely around him. He was held tight. "Alpha", the Hanyou whispered in relief. There was a mess of movement and confusion as everyone huddled around. And Sesshoumaru as long as no one tried to dislodge the arms, was content to hold his awake and moving Beta as the others buzzed around him.

"Who are you?" Inuyasha asked as he looked up at the six still pulsing with power.

"No one important, at this moment. You will join us for breakfast on the morrow." With a rather regal smile, Kamishiro and the High Kings left the room. The reunion of those that had been so worried was more important than explanations. The laughter, crying and general ruckus from Lord Sesshoumaru's usually quiet and regal rooms, was thanks enough.

:D :D :D :D

The next morning, they all met at the private gardens for breakfast as ordered. Everyone sat on a loose circle on cushions and mats, with servers buzzing around providing ample food and drink to all.

Inuyasha knelt on a cushion beside his Alpha, Moko-moko wrapped possessively around his waist, connecting him to his Lord.

'We had tried everything. While the Sesshoumaru is very grateful for your intervention, how did you awaken my Beta? And more importantly why did you not do it earlier?" Sesshoumaru demanded coolly of the High Kings. Yes he was loyal to them, yes in public he knelt before them, but he had known almost all of them since he was a puppy, and his tone and question reflected the familial bond of the High Kings.

"Grand-father, keeping my grand-son, your great-grandson asleep for so long was cruel." Miroku said with a glare at his own High King.

'Peace, my children." The human High-King said with a wave of the hand. He was by far younger the Miroku and even Sesshoumaru, but by the virtue of his position, he had every right to address them as his children. "The means to awaken our young Hero was only revealed to me in deep meditation two nights ago. We could not have gotten here any faster."

"So would my Lord King be kind enough to share how you managed to awaken our Inuyahsa? And share before some of us expire from curiosity?" Lady Kaede asked with a grin at Lord Kouga.

"Allow me to explain." Princess KamiShiro stepped in. Everyone nodded with slight relief, though they had asked - none were completely comfortable with the High Kings having to do something as mundane as explaining their actions.

"Initially we too had no clue to what was wrong with Inuyasha. High King Azarshi felt there was something more to it than just a physical wounding. He elected to go into deep meditation on the behalf of my brother's Hanyou." She deliberately glanced at the Hanyou, whose eyes went wide at the thought of a High King mediating for him. Satisfied by the reaction, she continued.

"He awoke from meditation and informed us that Inuyasha's consciousness far from being trapped or damaged was with the Spirit of the Earth." The Princess once again glanced at the Hanyou, who just shrugged in confusion. He had no memory of what happened after he defeated the Shikon, he remembered coming out and seeing his Alpha, then nothing until he woke up again. There was a vague sense of well being and warmth, but no real memory of anything occurring at the time.

When everyone kept staring at him in silence he finally said in his normal fashion, "I am sorry my Lords, I was asleep."

After more silence of waiting for further explanation and receiving nothing except an innocent look, the Princess sighed and continued, "Well in meditation what was revealed to his Lord High King was that while Inuyasha's spirit was healing in the depths of the earth. However, because the heart of our earth mother is warm and welcoming, awakening from her embrace is difficult. Literally power must be brought to bear to summon the spirit out of the heart of the earth or one may never awaken. If Inuyasha had been of one lineage the power of one High King and Queen would have been sufficient, but as Inuyasha is unique, the power of all three kings were needed to awaken him."

"Thus here we are." The Princess finished with a smile, "Just in time to save the day." She said with a smug look at her brother. Who rather reluctantly nodded in acknowledgement, he would probably be paying his sister back for this 'favor' long after most had forgotten about it. But he didn't really mind it was the way of twins after all. A slight shifting at his Beta however had the DaiYoukai's brows drawing together.

Inuyasha went pale. He scrambled out of Moko-Moko's embrace and bowed low, his forehead touching the floor. "Your Majesties, Inuyasha is so sorry. Please forgive me." The Hanyou was horrified that he had put the High Kings out. His brain was scrambling, this was terrible. He was terrible, causing such trouble.

A powerful hand touched his head, "Rise child." InuTaiso commanded, "For what you did for our Lands, it was a pleasure for Us to be able to do this small thing."

Inuyasha raised his head, to see the High King of the demons standing relaxed before him. "Bow not your head so young-one. You are a Hero of our Lands, and we command that you never bow such again to another of lower rank than a High King. Never should your forehead touch the floor, before another who does not deserve such respect from you." The High King deliberately grasped Inuyasha's shoulders and pulled the slightly trembling youth to his feet.

The Hanyou's eyes were incredibly wide, "So cute." InuTasio blinked slowly and turned to his son. "Can I keep him?" The High King asked with a slightly cheeky grin.

Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed red, "Not unless you wish to fight this Sesshoumaru for the right to be Alpha." Sesshoumaru snapped, with a deadly seriousness.

InuTaiso smiled in response to his son's almost challenge. "Be at peace my Son, it was but a joke. The High Kings have recognized your claim as Inuyasha's Alpha, none can remove him from your side." With a slight push Sesshoumaru's father hand the Hanyou overbalance towards his Alpha, who stood to catch Inuyasha safely in his arms.

"You Dog Demons have a strange idea of what passes as humor." The Seraphim High Kings said dryly, there had all tensed at the teasing. "Tell us what occurred when you were inside the Shikon-no-tama, young one, before we have to get back to the serious task of celebrations."

Inuyasha feeling slightly over-whelmed, channeled a little bit of Inu and related for the first time what he had experienced when he was inside the jewel.

The morning passed swiftly, the people joined for lunch and the celebrations continued late into the night.

The next morning, the Royals left as they had come, through the mirror and a-wing. The castle of Sesshoumaru sighed with relief that the ordeal was over.

It took a couple more days for things to settle down. The celebrations after the war and the period of fear was of course long and involved. Though he was the "Star" Inuyasha was his usual quite and contained self.

It took even Sesshoumaru a week to realize that Inuyahsa was too quite.

:V o :P

Sesshoumaru's hips thrust hard as his Beta's back arched on his lap. The firm hand on slim hips were all that kept the Hanyou from falling over. The needy, vulnerable look on the young face, had Sesshoumaru's heart racing. None but him were allowed to see Inuyasha like this. Golden eyes unseeing in their need, rolled back as sperm was released from his straining cook, and the secret bud of his desire clenched trying to get his Alpha to go deeper, get closer still. In response to the warmth hitting his belly, Sesshoumaru released and flooded his Beta, covering him inside and out with the essence of the DaiYoukai.

The collapsed into each other's arms, their breaths mingling as lips sought its mate in a long kiss.

"Inuyasha, are you ready to tell me what is wrong?" Sesshoumaru asked softly once they had recovered.

"There is nothing wrong Alpha." Inuyasha replied immediately slightly confused. "Everyone has gone home, the work to repair the damaged villages is going well. Lady Kagome has been taken to Lady Kaeda's temple to heal and receive punishment. All is going well."

Sesshoumaru sighed. He touched his forehead to inuyasha's "Yes everyone else is doing well, but there is something wrong in you Inuyasha, did you think I would not sense it? This Sesshoumaru notices

Everything about his Beta, so I ask again what is wrong?"

Inuyasha slowly stood up. Realization to what Sesshoumaru was referring to dawning. To stall, he reached out and pulled on a robe, taking his time to tie it in place. Sesshoumaru sat patiently, his demeanor saying that he would wait as long as he needed for his answers.

"There is nothing wrong, not really. It's just different and hard. Well a little harder than it used to be." Inuyasha head dropped as he scratched the back of his ear uncomfortably. "It is just taking time to get used to it."

"Used to what, Inuyasha?"

"This." Inuyasha replied, and the room flashed as Inuyasha allowed his Seraphic Self to rise.

"Pup? Pup!" Sesshoumaru jumped to his feet. A stabbing pain in his heart. He had hoped that the damage to Pup had been minimal, Pup was after all a part of Inuyasha. As long as the Hanyou lived, he had assumed that Pup would heal and be fine as well.

"That name does not really suit me anymore. My Lord Alpha."

Pup was no longer a cute Chibi of five years. Standing before Sesshoumaru was a much older Seraphim of around 12 years. The eyes that had once been wide and innocent, full of laughter, were now older, stronger in many ways, but with a heartbreaking pain that Pup had been protected from. Seeing the shock on his Alpha's face, the boy's face went even paler as he looked away. His wings now slight larger came around him, almost as if he was cradling himself.

Sesshoumaru could not hold back a frown as he noted one Seraphic wing had healed wrong. Pup would be able to fly in the future, but not easily, not as freely as he should have been able to.

"Can I go now, I really don't want to come out." Pup's voice was almost a whisper, his shoulders were hunched over, almost as if he was trying to make himself smaller.

"Pup!" Sesshoumaru exclaimed as he surged forward and picked up the young boy. He held him tight in his arms. "Pup, always my Pup. Five years old, ten years old, a hundred or a thousand years old you will always be my Pup. I am so happy you are well, Pup, so damn Happy."

Pup struggled for a moment, than as Sesshoumaru spoke, his head fell on his Lord shoulder in utter relief. "So you still like me?" Pup asked hesitantly. His growth had been overnight, the Seraphic self of Inuyasha had always been conscious of how different he was from the other aspects. Still he had been loved utterly and was thus content. Now he felt un-cute and uncomfortable with his new height and limbs. He wanted to be five again and was so afraid that he would be rejected.

Sesshoumaru hugged Pup tight and tussled his black silky hair. "Of course I like you Pup, you are my Beta. This Sessoumaru likes every special part of you."

Pup looked into Sesshoumaru's face for a long time. Sesshoumaru looked back at the young one silently. Inwardly he felt a tiny pang of loss. Where the five year old would have held Sesshoumaru's face, the ten year old simply stared, with hands clenched by his side. But, everyone including Pup had to grow up.

Finally, Pup seemed to relax. His lips slowly twisted into a smile. Then Pup started laughing. He laughed and laughed releasing all the tension held inside his body. Sesshoumaru smiled at the laughing boy. "It seems that this Pup was rather silly. Of course you like me. I'm you Beta." Pup impishly mimicked Sesshoumaru, as he wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. "Thank you My Lord Alpha, this Pup will go now."

Pup's eyes were alive again, the pain gone as if it had never been there. With a simple bow, the room flashed. Pup vanished and Yasha appeared, kneeling before Sesshoumaru.

The Demon aspect eyes were trained downward, his body tense. "I failed Lord Sesshoumaru. I failed to keep Pup safe, it was my fault. I will accept my punishment." No one had blamed Yasha for Pup, but as my as they had tried neither Inuyasha, Inu or Pup could convince Yasha he was not at fault. The Demonic aspect had been full of guilt for his perceived failure.

Sesshoumaru was not a new leader. He reached down and grasped the youth around the neck, lifting him up of the ground with one hand. Yasha wide eyed struggled as he started at Sesshoumaru. "In an Alpha's presence, who's responsibility is the safety of the pack?" Sesshoumaru demanded. "WHO'S?!" Sesshoumaru asked ferociously shaking the youth a little.

"The Alpha's! It is the responsibility of the Alpha!" Yasha choked out.

"Yes and you presume to take my role?" Sesshoumaru asked bringing Yasha face close to his.

"No, but…"

'NO BUTS! There are no 'buts' it was this Sesshoumaru's responsibility. We were at war, people get hurt. That is the nature of war. Every death, every wound sustained in the battle weighs on my soul." Sesshoumaru suddenly released Yasha so he fell to his but on the floor. "Should this Sesshoumaru be punished further?"

"No, my Lord. It is not your fault we were at war!" Yasha said as he scrambled to his feet.

"Exactly, Yasha. So while we are hurt, that one's dear to us we hurt, it was a war Yasha. Carrying guilt is worthless, it is a weakness for others to exploit. If you feel bad because Pup got hurt, train and become stronger. Do not allow it to happen again. That is the way of the warrior. That is our punishment Yasha. We have to continuously try to improve in battle, to fight and protect, to fail and then to pick ourselves up and continue to protect. Understand."

Sesshoumaru experienced a strange kind of Déjà vu as the Demon aspect did exactly what Pup did, he stared deep into Sesshoumaru's eyes. He too slowly relaxed, his smile though was cocky, with a touch of arrogance. "Get stronger. Keh I can do that. I'm going to be the strongest ever. You'll see Alpha, Im going to be the strongest Beta the world has ever seen." The teen straightened and stood tall with that boast. He too bowed and disappeared in a flash.

"The both feel better, Alpha. Thank you." Inuyasha said with a quiet smile. His sanctuary felt warm again.

"What? No Inu?" Sesshoumaru asked, feeling strangely disappointed.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Inu can only rise on his human nights. He cannot flash out like the other. Just like they cannot stay for long."

Sesshoumaru curved a warm hand around Inuyasha's neck as he pulled his Beta in for a kiss. "Hmm… I will look forward to that then. Dealing with Pup and Yasha was a joy, now give me my reward." Sesshoumaru licked Inuyasha's lips. The Hanyou moaned deeply, and opened his lips to his Alpha. Just the reward Sesshoumaru needed.

-TBC-

OMG that was marathon writing. Long chapter hope you are satisfied. How do you like what happened with Pup? Please review. The tale too is coming to an end soon. So please make requests etc now for consideration.


	37. Home!

Its been a long Road to get to this final chapter. Yes I have not been writing as often as I used to. It's been due to this unfair thing called LIFE. Anyway I LOVE ALL REVIEWERS, you know when I have felt bad I sometimes just go back and read reviews, it helps.

SO Read, review and ENJOY!

**Chapter : Home!**

Things had been hectic since they had won. Lord Sesshoumaru duties seemed to have trebled and the Lord was needed in many places to oversee the numerous tasks associated with rebuilding. The palace was quiet whenever the Lord was away. Inuyasha went about his duties, his time and dedication to study and practice intense at these quiet times. Of course Inuyasha wanted to be out there with his Lord, but at his current level of ability he would be more of hindrance than a help, and Inuyasha resigned himself to a restless wait every time his Lord was away.

His long day of training over, Inuyasha ghosted into the private gardens. Following an inner urging, he went deep into the private palace woods, the green grass crunched under his bare feet. Inuyasha reached his destination, almost at the middle of the lush woods. The trees grew thick here and formed a natural grotto with a small stream running beside it. It was almost a secret place that Inuyasha had stumbled over, no other scent was here except his own. The Hanyou had found this place the last time his Lord was away. This was his second visit to this place.

Inuyasha sighed a little sadly. His gaze rose to the sky. The sun was hidden by the thick foliage, but he could feel it going down. Inuyasha felt a pang of sadness; his poor Inu still could not stand to be around others. With his Lord was not scheduled to be back for another two days, this peaceful grotto was an almost perfect place to wait out the moonless night. Giving in to the urging of his human self, the Hanyou sank into a peaceful rest as his Yokai drained away.

Violet eyes blinked open. Clawless fingers ran through thick silky hair. Searching for and missing the ears that defined his true self. His other aspects safely asleep, Inu sank found a comfortable nook between gnarled roots and sat down to quietly wait out his human night.

He had sort of hoped that with the destruction of the Shikon, he would not rise. The last full moon had been while he slept and he had not risen then. Inu had hoped that would be a permanent state, but no such luck, here he was contaminating the world with his presence once again. At least he was no longer afraid of being the cause of more harm to Inuyasha if he was found out. He supposed he could have visited Jeninji or his grandfather, but it was not in Inu's nature to rely on anyone outside himself. Also while they knew of his transformation, they were unaware of what triggered it. The human was not going to enlighten them, he felt safer that way. He was much more comfortable sitting alone in this grotto.

Inu searched his feeling. He found nothing except a strange sense of peace. Lord Sesshoumaru either believed that Inuyasha had been cured and Inu no longer rose on the moonless night, or that with the destruction of the Shikon, Inuyasha would be safe and the human aspect not a threat to the Hanyou's safety. Inu was glad that his Lord did not feel he required a baby-sitter. While his presence was an unneeded one, at least he was not depriving his Lord of Inuyasha's presence. Thin but full lips twisted into a gentle smile. Heck for once he was actually helping, Inuyasha missed his Lord the most in the silence of the night, at least tonight instead of restless tossing he was ensuing that Inuyasha rested deep and well.

Inu nodded silently, in a strange kind of self approval. Deep within him the other three aspects slept safely, they were at peace and in a strange way so was he. Seeing the original souls of the Shikon had been a healing experience to the human. He knew his history, he accepted that humans were not inherently weak. He would never be as powerful or as strong as his other aspects, but he was not pathetic, he was not wrong.

His left hand flexed a discomforting reminder, not wrong just not quite right either. Deformed and broken as he was at least he no longer believed himself a threat to Inuyasha.

Inu shifted to a more comfortable position; the breeze ran her insubstantial fingers through his silky black hair. Inu sighed in pleasure as his fingers dug into the soil for a moment just experiencing the richness of the earth. Satisfied, he reached out picking up a succulent yellow pear that had fallen off the tree. He blew the dust off it, buffed it against his sleeve and sank blunt teeth into the crisp skin. Sweetness exploded in his mouth.

As moments went this one was perfect.

A smile of contentment settled on Inu's lips as he ate his crunchy pear. For the first time in his existence, in rising; he was not a threat to Inuyasha. He was not a weakness to be exploited. He was not in any kind of pain and on his Alpha's lands he felt safe. Such a feeling was indeed a miracle. Finishing off the pear core and all, Inu stretched out comfortably to wait for the dawn.

"You look so at peace little human, it almost feels wrong to disturb you." A cool voice broke the silence of the night and had Inu jerking to a sitting position. A dull red flooded his cheeks, he scrambled to a kneeling position. He was so pathetic, his senses so dull, he had not sensed the coming of his Alpha. "My Lord Alpha" Inu bowed his head both in reverence and to hide his embarrassment at being caught so unprepared.

"Did you think I had forgotten my words?" Lord Sesshoumaru asked as he glided towards the kneeling human.

"Of course you did not forget!" Inu exclaimed his voice defensive of his Alpha. "My Lord has many duties that he executes to perfection. My Lord has many more important tasks, and Inu is much better now. My Lord Alpha does not need to be concerned that I will do something foolish again, Inu knows he is safe in Alpha's lands, and thus there is little reason to baby sit this human." Inu spluttered out, slightly incoherent in his surprise at his Lord sudden appearance.

Sesshoumaru stopped right in front of the kneeling human, moko-moko curled around the human, lifting him up to face his Lord. "The Sesshoumaru orbed back this night Inu." Clawed fingers reached out to lift Inu's chin, troubled violet eyes met blazing golden ones. "You are right, This Sesshoumaru has many duties, so what made you think, that this Sesshoumaru would allow himself to be deprived of a rare pleasure that is only available for tasting, for indulging once every month?"

Claws that could rend steel, gently caressed trembling lips. Sesshoumaru brought Inu closer his breathe bathing the human's face. "It is past time I claim what is mine is it not? Is it not time that I take what belongs to me?"

"Yes if its Alpha's will. Yes." Inu's voice trembled, he thoughts a jumble of fear, excitement and desire. Inu felt frozen, unable to bridge the gap between his Alpha and him, for the emotional underlay beneath all those active feelings, was still shame. The shame of being repeatedly raped, the shame at being unable to stop it, of allowing Inuyasha to shield him, the shame at carrying the scent, the spore of his abusers on his skin, bound the human to his tragic past more securely than the enchanted chains.

"Yes it is my will, but it is also your will Inu, before we are done you will want this as much as I want you." Sesshoumaru whispered as he claimed Inu's lips in a long, deep kiss. At the touch of his lips warmth spread throughout the human.

Inu felt boneless, he was passive as his Lord began to remove the clothes from his body. He trembled his emotions twisting and convoluted as powerful hands traced down his arms, up his abs. Heavy cloth falling heedless to the forest floor. Sesshoumaru's claws made quick work of the ties holding up Inu's loose pants. Inu's eyes closed, he felt rather than saw the last of his clothes leaving his trembling frame. Being naked, being exposed, Inu was used to this, to the feeling of eyes on his bare skin. But this was not any eyes, this was his Alpha's eyes and that made all the difference. The blood that had felt frozen in his veins began to flow, to pool. His cock twitched and slowly began to raise to half mast.

Sesshoumaru's eyes swept the slender frame over and over again. So thin, no longer starved but still rake thin. It took great effort but Sesshoumaru buried the rage that threatened to rise as demon eyes cataloged the many, many scars that marred the creamy white skin. For the first time in his existence the Inu DaiYoukai was tempted, so very tempted to throw his honor aside, break his word, find that bitch of a Priestess and visit retribution a thousand times over for each mark that marred his human's skin. Sesshoumaru doused his anger. It served no purpose. Inuyasha would be hurt by such an action, and Lord Sesshoumaru was well aware that he could not actively visit pain on his beloved Beta.

His eyes tracing the scars, Sesshoumaru wondered at his Inu's strength. To survive such abuse, with a heart so large was amazing. It pleased the Dog Lord greatly that under his steady gaze the long, slim cock began to rise from its nest of dark forest curls. Saliva pooled in Sesshoumaru's mouth, so delicious. A rare treat that was finally going to be all his. Unable to stave off the temptation he leaned down to taste what was his.

His longue barely grazed the semi stiff member when Inu suddenly surged to life.

Inu pushed Sesshoumaru back, the move taking the Dog Lord by surprise he stepped back a little. "No, no!" Inu almost sobbed out, his voice a tight mix of emotions. "No Lord Alpha I will do it please, you can't, you cannot do that. Let me serve my Alpha." So saying with mix of determination and desperation, Inu dropped to his knees as he quickly slipped his hands into Sesshoumaru's pants. Inu with heartbreakingly jerky but knowledgeable movements released Sesshoumaru's thick cock from its confines. With only the barest of hesitation the human reverently pressed his lips to the head of the exposed member.

For the first time the human would perform without the whips kissing his back, without the collar forcing him to act the whore. Droplets of essence seeped on to Inu's tongue, the taste was indescribable, minutely he relaxed. This was nothing like the past, he could do this, and he could bring his Alpha to pleasure, perhaps finally proving his worth. He opened his mouth wide to receive his Alpha's member.

Gentle hands caught his head and lifted his face, forestalling that action.

"Inu, what are you intending?" Sesshoumaru asked softly.

Violet eyes blinked in confusion, "I will pleasure you Lord Alpha, if you permit me. I have been trained in this, please allow Inu to bring your member to completion." Perhaps the DaiYoukai thought he was unskilled in this. Inu's eyes became large as he tried to see what Lord Sesshoumaru desired. "I was trained to not used my teeth and take you as deeply as you like to go, my Lord. I.. I'm not Inuyasha, b..but I will do my best for you my Lord."

Sesshoumaru's fingers massaged the tense jaw, once again hiding how much the human's words enraged him. He knew the training involved a lot of pain on the human's part and the collar would have forced compliance. "I have no doubt that your best is excellent, that is not what this Sesshoumaru is asking. Why did you halt my actions Inu? Why did you deprive my lips of your taste?"

Inu's pale skin went a pasty white, the tiny surge of confidence he had felt drained, violet eyes clouded in distress. "Its not right my Lord. Let Inu pleasure you please. It is not right for you to touch me like that. I'm too dirty for that. Let Inu do the work to bring his Alpha pleasure please." The heartbreaking words were delivered in a matter-a-fact manner, reflecting Inu's own acceptance of himself.

Sesshoumaru felt his cock tighten painfully, the picture of those perfect lips around him was a temptation that was difficult to reject. But reject he must, he would save that as something to look forward to in their next encounter.

Inu found himself once again hanging in the air, moko moko snuggly wrapped around his waist. Eye level, he stared into the bright eyes of his Alpha. Inu watched as Sesshoumaru reached into his sleeve and drew out a two meter long chain of pearls. Each perfectly rounded pearl was the size of a large juicy grape. The pearls had a pinkish sheen as they gleamed in Sesshoumaru's fist.

"Do you know the special property of pearls?" Sesshoumaru asked his long fingers playing with the pearls.

"No my Lord" Inu replied confusion painted on his face.

"You said you were dirty, this Sesshoumaru knows that statement to be a lie, but it would be a waste of words to try to tell my stubborn Inu that. I could say a thousand times that you are to me as pure and beautiful as newly fallen snow, but it is highly unlikely that you would believe me." Violet eyes went even larger at the truth of those words.

Sesshoumaru took the pearls and gently brought them to Inu's lips, he ran one bead along the bottom lip and another over the top, the lips flushed red and parted in unspoken invitation.

"Pearls cleanse, my human. Pearls draw out all the negativity of the world leaving only the pure and the good behind. You said you are dirty Inu, you believe it, thus as your Alpha it is my duty to cleanse you. I will remove the taint that you feel on your skin and your soul. And once that part is cleansed I will claim every inch of the pure you as my own." So saying Sesshoumaru covered Inu's mouth with his. Accepting the invitation of the parted lips, Sesshoumaru catching part of the pearls with his tongue, rolled the pearls inside of Inu's startled mouth.

Inu's world narrowed to the sensations inside his mouth. The coolness of the pearls followed by the heat of the DaiYoukai's tongue had the human trembling in desire. Sesshoumaru released his mouth with an audible 'pop'. Satisfied with the befuddled human, he lowered him down on to a moko moko created mat to begin the cleansing.

Sesshoumaru looped the pearls around his soon-to-be lover. The double strand rolled from the top of Inu's head down his overheat skim of his neck. The cool pearls seemed to steal the heat off his skin and replaced it with new and unknown sensations, which left the human trembling and panting.

The pearls ran down his throat. Each dip of his collar bone, shoulders and arms were traced by the rolling pearls. The human shuddered, his skin felt strange as the pearls absorbed his heat. The second and third roll of the pearls left him trembling as his Lord had instructed his skin felt renewed. His Lord was taking the old energy that haunted him, he was removing the invisible layer of shame, trauma and horror that had coated Inu's skin. As the old was scraped away, a new kind of heat took its place. Sesshoumaru's breath followed the path of the pearls. He did not touch Inu's skin, yet; instead he blew long, hot breathes on the newly cleansed skin. Sesshoumaru replaced the past not with his touch, but with his very essence.

Golden eyes narrowed in pleasure at the erotic being gasping in his embrace. Inu's skin paled as the pearls slipped across his skin and then went a pleasing shade of dark pink as Sesshoumaru released a hot stream of air on the cooled skin.

A heavy feeling of possessiveness filled the DaiYoukai's heart, the human was his. He had to share Inuyasha with so many people. He did not begrudge that, to allow Inuyasha to grow he had to allow, to even encourage Inuyasha to mix freely with others. But Inu did not want to meet others. Inu had chosen to be alone rather than with his Seraphim grand-father, Inu's growth was not dependent on social interactions. The smile that crossed Sesshoumaru's face could only be described as evil as he blew slowly into Inu's belly button, causing the human to jerk and whimper in his embrace.

Sesshoumaru had no intention of ever allowing another to meet his Inu. Unless Inu asked for it, Sesshoumaru under the guise of 'protecting' Inuyasha's human night, would never again invite another to meet the human. He was extra-ordinarily satisfied with the idea of the being the only one that the human had contact with for the rest of their lives.

The pearl rope skipped Inu's groin area for the moment and slipped around each strong leg. The pearls were wound around Inuyasha's legs riding up and down, cleansing his human of his past. If Inu's eyes had not been closed, fear and apprehension would have reduced his arousal, at the evil self satisfied gleam that entered his Alpha's eyes.

Inu was a little lost in a world of sensation. He could not bite a back a whimper of disappointment as the pearls were removed from his newly heated skin and his alpha moved away. He languidly opened his eyes as he felt Moko-moko move underneath him. His eyes wet wide as he found himself repositioned. Sesshoumaru was sitting on some exposed roots, had placed Inu on a kneeling position before him, a slight pressure on his back had him burying his face in Sesshoumaru's powerful thighs.

On his knees his butt was in the air, a slight breeze teased Inu's exposed orifice. The human felt his cheeks heat in embarrassment as the pearls joined the wind to tease his cheeks and butt.

'My Lord" Inu suddenly jerk up, trying to break position, but the hand on his butt held him easily in place. Clawed fingers caught Inu's chin and his lips claimed in an owning kiss.

"Hush human. I have to cleanse the inside of you as well." Clever fingers gently pushed the first pearl into Inu's hole. The human squirmed in discomfort. Sesshoumaru fingers stroked his jaw, his tongue lapped at Inu's cheeks soothing him. "Relax, Inu!" The words were nothing less than a command. "This is my will" a second and a third pearl disappeared into the trembling human. Inu bucked, his balance destroyed, he clutched at Sesshoumaru's arm. Obliging Sesshoumaru shifted his hand from Inu's chin to his back, supporting the human while holding him in place.

"Stop!" Inu cried out , he was feeling so full, so strange. "Stop, please! Stop."

Deliberately another precious pearl slid into Inu, "You say stop, but feel it Inu, but see how hungry this mouth is. It is eagerly swallowing the pearls, you are holding on to the pearls so tightly. So needy, you want more don't you?"

A waterfall of black hair spilled over Sesshoumaru's controlling arm as a salacious cry escaped Inu's lips, his back arched, but his hips pushed into Sesshoumaru's hand. His body belied his cry to stop as his secret mouth hungrily swallowed more and more pearls.

Sesshoumaru watched with satisfied eyes as the human in his arms became a clingy, needy and utterly irresistible wanton being. He finally stopped feeding Inu and shifted his focus slightly. Taking the access pearls he slipped them through Inu's legs and focused on the weeping and so far ignored member.

"Do not release the pearls, my beauty. The cleansing is not done yet, you are not allowed to release yet."

"Ahhh.." Inu cried out. The pearls were moving inside him. He had never felt like this before, his skin felt alien to him, the blood rushing in his veins, the hard throbbing of his cock, the need, the amazing need that seemed to wrap around his every pore was a feeling Inu had never experienced.

Then the pearls wrapped itself around Inu's hand cock, and even Sesshoumaru's gentle hand could not stop Inu's movement. He arched upward, breaking his kneeling position. The puckered nubbins of his nipples were inadvertently offered to his Alpha's lips. Sesshoumaru accepted the offering as he took a hard nipple between his teeth. The pearls wrapped around Inu's cock tightened and the scale finally tipped.

Inu screamed. Cum exploded from his body as the pearls were released from inside him in a gush. He controlled nothing, the world was pure pleasure and sensation. The only stability in his universe were the powerful arms holding him safe as his body twisted and jerked on Sesshoumaru's lap.

As he came down from his high, as his body slowly returned to normal; tears finally spilled down Inu's cheeks. He had lost all control and yet he had never been safer, never been more cherished.

Gentle fingers wiped his tears. "Will you welcome rising on the next new moon, my Inu? Will you come to me?"

"Yes." The word was soft but for one who had never welcomed rising, it was all that was needed. The pearls were unwrapped and left to fall unnoticed on the forest floor as Inu was folded into Sesshoumaru's embrace.

Long fingers wrapped around Inu's soft cock, and despite the recent explosion, the organ hardened. Inu felt his Alpha's member at his pearl prepared orifice. His breathe left his lips in almost painful pants as Sesshoumaru slid him down, impaling him, filling him with his Alpha.

Pain and pleasure mingled, full, he was so very full. His hips began to move, need swept though his body. "More!" the words slipped out of Inu's lips as his hips bucked. "More, please, more." More of his Alpha, he wanted, he needed more of his Alpha. It was all that seemed to matter in his universe, more of his Alpha was needed by his body, his soul.

"As much as you need Inu. You were born for me, give me everything and take all you need. I will fill you my pet, until all that you remember is me, all that you hunger for is what you receive in my touch. Only in my arms are you free. When I am inside you – only then will you be whole." Sesshoumaru bucked as he said that, closing what little space existed between Inu's body and his. He touched the nerve center of pleasure in the human. Inu's eyes rolled back as he came once again. The tightening and undulating of the muscles around Sesshoumaru's cock finally broke the bonds of Sesshoumaru's control.

The Daiyoukai came, filling his human to the brim with hot, pulsing cum.

The two collapsed into each other's arms. Satiated peace filled the little grove.

"Sleep now Inu." Sesshoumaru said as he cuddled the slim body close to him.

"Will you be here when I awaken Alpha?" Inu asked lazily.

"No, while you are one, Inuyasha's conscious will be the one that awakens. I came this night for the human part of Inuyasha alone, no other. I be returning to my team and will meet Inuyasha as scheduled in two days. This pleasure was yours and yours alone, Inu."

Violet eyes went impossibly wide, then exhaustion gripped the human and his eyes drifted close. He whispered "Alpha, Inu.. Inu is happy, love Alpha."

There was a long peaceful silence. Once Inu was deeply asleep, as silently as he had come Sesshoumaru stood, dressed his Beta, and disappeared into the night.

Inuyasha awoke the next morning feeling amazingly wonderful. The dominant aspect found his human side fast asleep in their sanctuary, with a tiny smile on his lips. Inuyasha had an inkling that something magical had occurred on his human night, he was slightly curious. With a shrug Inuyasha let it go, yes he was curious but his human side had been in so much pain for so long, letting his human have his secrets was a small price to pay. Besides Inuyasha lips twisted in a secret smile of his own, he never, ever slept so deeply he was unaware of his Alpha's presence.

Inuyasha returned his awareness to the world as he stretched his nicely aching limbs. He would look forward to more amazing monthly dreams. His Alpha was not the only one who could keep secrets.

On that note, Inuyasha went to his daily training. Life was good.

The End –

Well nothing really ends, but this ends this tale. I truly hope that you enjoyed reading Survive. I thank all the wonderful reviewers, Likers' and supporters. Its been a journey to write and I hope that your will take a few seconds to leave a few words back. Thank you, Arigato and a have a great life.


End file.
